Out of Time
by liveinlegends
Summary: Tara Kane is already out of time. In fact, she has been out of time for almost a year and a half...So when guards come to her door she assumes the worst, only to be surprised at the strings her dad has been about to pull. She is going to earth. But earth may be a death sentence nonetheless as there are many people on the ground who don't like Marcus Kane...
1. Pilot

I lay on the thin mattress staring at the ceiling. How many days had it been since the guard had stopped coming? 40? 50? Who knew? Food slid in through a tiny flap in the door, and dishes were collected the same way. I had turned 19 about 7 months ago…I knew that much. By all rights, I should be dead. But nope. They just keep me here. Locked up. Unable to speak to anyone. If I'm being honest with you, sometimes I think death would be preferable to the constant silence accompanied by the endless machine hum. Sitting up, I pulled my hair out of its braid and combed through it with my fingers before rebraiding it. Just then, the door burst open.

"Prisoner 682. Stand up and face the wall." The guard said.

"Actually," I responded, surprised that my voice still worked, "if you're going to kill me, I'd prefer to be lying down." I reclined back on my mattress, lacing my fingers behind my head. I looked at the guard.

"You're late, you know." I continued sarcastically, overjoyed at just being able to talk to someone, "I was supposed to die over a year ago."

"Get up and face the wall." The guard repeated, drawing his weapon.

"Or what? You'll electrocute me? Then I'll be unconscious and unable to stand or face the wall. That doesn't sound like it will work out for either of us." I said raising an eyebrow.

It looked like I was starting to get under the guards skin, which is what I was aiming for. He sighed, sheathed his weapon and reached down to pull me off the bed.

As he reached down, I shot a leg out, kicking him in the groin and bolted off the bed and out the door.

"Prisoner 682!" The guard called after me. "Stop!"

"That is not my name!" I shouted back, continuing to run down the hallway away from solitary confinement. "Why don't you try asking nicely?" I rounded a corner still full sprint and collided head first with a squadron of guards. "Shit." I muttered.

4 of them drew their weapons and advanced.

"Guys," I said, walking backwards until I was pressed against a wall. "Can't we talk about this? Come to some sort of compromise? You know who my father is. Don't do this!" I protested. It did nothing to stop the volts of electricity from traveling through my body. I slid to the floor unconscious; the last thing I felt was a violent pinch around my wrist.

The first thing I felt was pain. That was a good sign. Pain meant not dead. The second thing I noticed was the chatter of voices. That sparked my interest and I started to rouse. I groaned as lifted my hand to neck – the area where I had received the brunt of the electrical shock.

"Hey! She lives!" A guy said. My eyes adjusted on his face. He was tall, skinny and wearing goggles.

"Well I doubt they would put a dead person on the dropship." The guy beside him replied.

"What is going on?" I asked, groggily.

"Well, I suppose you missed the thrilling video message from the Chancellor," Goggles said, "But we are going to earth."

"Earth." I said, not sure whether to believe him or not.

"Well, as long as the chutes deploy and we don't all die upon landing." He laughed. "What's your name?"

"Tara." I smiled. "What's yours?"

"I'm Jasper." He grinned, reaching over to shake my hand. "And this here is Monty." He gestured at the Asian kid beside him who waved in greeting.

"Nice to meet you. "

Just then, the chutes deployed and a commotion could be heard from downstairs. The dropship crashed onto the ground and settled into the earth with a loud crash. The three of us looked at each other, pausing only a moment before scrambling to unbuckle ourselves from our seats.

"I can't believe we aren't dead." Monty laughed.

"I can't believe we are going to get to see earth!" I replied.

"Well, hurry up, let's go!" Jasper shouted, already at the ladder. We scaled down to the second floor and saw two bodies on the ground. A somber silence overtook us. I walked over to the two kids and shut their still open eyes.

"I suppose it was a rough landing." Jasper said quietly. "C'mon." He rested his hand on my shoulder. "There is nothing we can do for them now."

I nodded quietly, brushing the tears back from my eyes. What was wrong with me. I didn't even know them. Still, seeing them dead was a reminder of just how hard the path ahead of us was going to be. We climbed down the last ladder to see the door already open.

"Well, it's good to know the air isn't toxic." I sighed. Jasper and Monty ran ahead outside and I was quick to follow. I stepped off the ship surprised by how soft the earth felt beneath my boots. I took a deep breath and smiled. Free. I was finally free. Turning to my left I saw someone who I thought I would never see again in all my years left to live.

"Clarke?" I asked, seeing her distinct blonde curls. "What are you doing here?"

"Tara?" She looked shocked for a moment, then laughed and gave me a hug. "I thought you were dead!"

"I should be. But I guess my dad pulled a few strings. Why are you here?"

"I have been in solitary for a year. "Clarke frowned. "My dad and I found out the ark life support systems were failing. He was floated for it."

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry." I said, pulling her into another hug.

"Yeah, well, I guess you have to be careful who you trust with secrets." She replied, glaring over, at….was that…..Wells?

"Wells?" I said, following her gaze. "You know he would never do anything to hurt you."

"You've been in solitary awhile." She said. "A lot has happened. But first things first. We've been dropped on the wrong peak."

"What?" I asked, glancing over her shoulder at the map she had laid out on the drop ship.

"The food. The supplies. They are all on mount weather. There is a radiation soaked forest between us and our next meal."

I was about to reply when a voice interrupted.

"Why so serious, Princess. It's not like we died in a fiery explosion."

I turned to see a boy with long dark hair, and kind eyes standing behind us.

"Try telling that to the two kids who tried to follow you out of their seats." Clarke glared.

"I get the feeling you don't like being called princess, do you princess." He grinned. Clarke huffed and walked off to a different part of the dropship and I was left with the guy.

"Well." I smirked. "That was smooth."

He turned to look at me.

"Have we met?"

"Doubtful. I'm Tara." I replied.

"Finn." He replied. "You look awfully familiar."

"Just one of those faces I guess." I said, suddenly self-aware. I walked over to where Clarke, and Wells, now were.

"….and that's why we need to go to . We have to leave now if we want to be there before dark." Clarke lectured to a group of teens, who were looking on unimpressed.

"I have an idea." A tall, dark haired guy said. I looked at him a little longer, and recognized him as Bellamy Blake. He was a guard for a while. "You two go. Get it for us. Let the privileged do the work for a change."

"That's not how it works!" Wells said. "We all have to contribute equally."

"You think you are in charge here? You and your little Princess?" A brunette girl viciously spat.

"Look everyone!" Another kid said stepping forward. "Chancellor of earth."

"You think that is funny?" Wells said.

The kid sauntered forward, all innocence, until his kicked out Wells leg. The crack could be heard all among the group.

"No," he smirked, "But that was."

That was enough for me.

"Oh yeah," I started, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Violence is always hilarious. It's not like violence is the reason we weren't able to live on earth for hundreds of years. You're a riot."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Why don't you come say that to my face, and see what happens?"

I lifted an eyebrow and jumped off the dropship platform where I had been standing.

"Tara?" Wells asked. I grinned.

"Nice to see you too."

"Hey!" The boy who had kicked out Wells leg shouted at me. "I know you. You're Tara Kane!"

I looked at him for a moment trying to place his face and then it clicked.

"John Murphy." I said, smirking. "Nice to see you're still a first class asshole."

Murphy lunged forward but was intercepted by Finn jumping off the dropship in front of him.

"Hey." He said, standing between us. "That's enough. We have food we need to get and time isn't moving any slower."

I shrugged and took a step back to help Wells up. He cringed as he put weight on his foot and I helped him limp away.

"Hey spacewalker, rescue me next." The brunette girl said flirtatiously. The crowd dissolved into laughter and tension eased, but I could still see Murphy watching me, as well as Bellamy. Both of them had their eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Wells hobbled off to go moon over Clarke, who very obviously only had eyes for Finn. I sat on the edge of the dropship before wondering if I could get the communications up and running. I climbed up onto the roof only to see all the panelling had come loose. It would take time, but eventually, I could rig it so we at least had electricity. That meant light and heat.

"Kane!" The shout came from below. It was Finn.

"Are you gonna come get food with us?"

"I'm gonna try and fix the comms." I shouted back. In the distance I saw Bellamy turn his head at that.

"Can you do that?" Finn asked.

"With time. And great skill. I happen to have both." I joked. "I'll keep an eye on Wells. I don't trust Murphy."

"Be careful." He said, starting to walk away.

"You too!" I shouted back. I stayed up on the roof grafting wires for a while until I heard a commotion below.

"You know, my father begged for mercy…..when they floated him." Murphy's voice drifted up. I peeked my head over the side to see three of Murphy's goons and the brat himself standing in front of Wells. On the ship, the words "First son, first to dye" were carved. I rolled my eyes and shouted down.

"You spelt die wrong, genius."

Murphy glanced up, pure loathing in his eyes. I signalled Wells to walk away, which he did, very slowly.

"Tara Kane. You better get down here right now." Murphy shouted.

"Or what?" I laughed. "You gonna throw your little knife at me? Well! Colour me frightened. Or should I say Dye me frightened. "

"I know what you did. I'll tell him." Murphy threatened. Well. That got me. How could he possibly know. No one knew. I hadn't told anyone except those at my trial. I climbed down the ladder, looking at Murphy coldly.

"That's what I thought." He smirked. "All talk. You don't want them to know your little secret."

"Speaking of secrets, how do you know it. And how do I know that you actually know." I said crossing my arms.

"Guess you'll just have to trust me." He said stepping forward and smoothing the loose strands of my hair out of my eyes.

"Go to hell." I said, shoving him away.

"Fine." Murphy shrugged. "Hey! Bellamy!"

The call caught Bellamy's attention and he walked over. Panic filled my chest and before I knew was I was doing, I lunged and punched Murphy in the throat, rendering him unable to do anything but gasp for air.

"Hey!" Bellamy said, catching my arms, and pulling me away from Murphy. "What the hell was that."

"Nothing….I don't know…..sometimes I hit people." I shrugged, before walking away to find Wells. I quickened my pace as Murphy began to be able to form words. I glanced over my shoulder to see a stormy look on Bellamy's face. He was glaring at me. He caught my eye and I knew right then in that moment, I was screwed. I turned, continued to walk like nothing was wrong until I got to the forest, and then I ran.

It didn't take long for Bellamy to catch up with me. He grabbed me and spun me around roughly.

"It was you?!" He shouted. "You're the reason they found Octavia." He spat the words at me.

"I never meant…" I started. He slammed me roughly against a tree, cutting off my words.

"Oh, you never meant? YOU NEVER MEANT?!" He roared. "Bloody privileged, thinking that they are so much better than the rest of us. Well, your mistake nearly cost my sister her LIFE!"

"If you would let me finish," I said wrestling with his steel grip, "I swear, I never knew it would happen. I stole for lots of people. I'd never been caught before. The guard who caught me waited until I delivered the food tokens. No one was supposed to be home. That's how he found O."

"DON'T YOU CALL HER THAT." He said, shaking me.

"Look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I said, anger beginning to replace fear. "But it wasn't my fault! Nigel turned me in. Someone offered her something better for information on me."

"So that makes it ok, does it." Bellamy scoffed. "You disgust me."

"Well, the feeling is mutual. I did what I did to help people. I helped a lot of people before I got caught. Now let me go."

"So what. Octavia was just collateral damage?" Bellamy said, increasing the pressure of his forearm against my throat.

"Let. Me. Go." I choked out. His eyes were filled with rage. "I'm sorry. I can't change the past."

"You're sorry." He mocked, releasing his death grip. "You're not sorry. Not yet. But you will be." With that, he stalked off leaving me alone in the woods, holding my throat, gasping for air.

I stayed in the woods for a long time. When it got dark I figured I would return to camp. After all, the worst was over. Bellamy's threat still hung in the air, but there was no way in hell I was going to let him think I was actually afraid of him. As I came into camp, the air was tense. I walked over to the fire to see Wells and Bellamy in the midst of what appeared to be a standoff.

"What the hell are you doing?" Wells sharp voice cut through the air.

"We're liberating ourselves. What does it look like?" Bellamy replied.

"It looks like you're trying to get us all killed. The communication system is dead. These wristbands are all we got. Take them off, and the Ark will think we're dying, that it's not safe for them to follow."

I walked silently closer to the fire, failing to notice a still very angry John Murphy standing at the edge of the group.

"Have a nice chat?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

"That depends." I said, examining my nails. "How's your windpipe." I smirked viciously. He pointed his knife at me.

"After I get Jaha, you're next, sweetheart." He said venomously.

"Try it. I dare you. See how far you get."

At that moment Bellamy stepped down from his grand speech, pulling me roughly aside.

"Murphy, forget Jaha for a moment. I have a plan for our girl here." Bellamy glanced down at my wristband.

"No!" Wells said, jumping forward. A bunch of kids reached to restrain him from their new leader. Murphy smiled, walking over with his knife.

"What's the plan, boss?" He asked, running his knife blade across my cheek. I struggled backwards only to be held tighter by Bellamy.

"How many people are on the ark who she cares about." Bellamy grinned.

"Oh, quite a few, I'm certain." Murphy said, his blade still pressing into my skin. "After all, her dad is still up there." I swallowed hard.

"And how distraught would they be to think their precious princess is dead." Bellamy asked, fingering my wristband.

"Precious princess?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "A+ for alliteration."

"Shut up." He shook me roughly. "Get the wristband off her." Murphy grabbed my arm and pulled it down to a rock.

"This may hurt. In fact, I can guarantee that it will." He grinned, jimmying the knife under the metal, as Bellamy held me in a deathgrip.

"Don't. Please. I have family up there."

"Well." Bellamy shouted for all to hear, "I have family here. These people are my family. And I'm going to make sure that your family never hurts them again."

The crowd roared its approval, when all of a sudden the sky opened and rain poured down, drenching everyone. Bellamy, in his shock, loosened his grip for a fraction of a moment, but that was all it took for me to wrench myself away and disappear into the crowd.

"Too close." I thought to myself, shoving my way through the people. I glanced back, briefly making eye contact with Murphy who smirked viciously and waved the knife in his hand. I knew this was far from over.

"We should collect this." Wells said, pragmatic as ever.

"Whatever the hell you want." Bellamy replied, rain dripping down his dark hair into his face.

I scoffed and took Wells by the sleeve, leading him away from the testosterone fuelled pit.

"Are you going to sleep in the drop ship?" Wells asked me as I helped him rig up some containers to catch the falling water. I was soaked through already, my army green jacket hanging limply and not offering much warmth.

"I'd like to, but I'm worried I'll get stabbed in my goddamn sleep." I muttered back. Wells chuckled briefly.

"I know the feeling."

"I knew I should have started to build a shelter the second I was off the drop ship." I sighed, running my hand through my wet hair. "But I got so caught up in trying to fix the drop ship comms, and Clarke's mission…"

"They'll be back with food before you know it." Wells smiled encouragingly. I grinned in return.

"Thank god, because I am starving."

"There are some edible berries in the woods, just a short distance off." Wells replied. "I noticed them while looking for water earlier. I didn't tell anyone because there is hardly enough for 100 people."

I smiled to myself. So typical of Wells Jaha. Either there was going to be food for everyone, or food for no one. I guess Bellamy pissed him off to the point where he realized his "all for one and one for all" mentality wasn't going to work on the ground. I was just glad that he decided I was worth sharing with.

"Well let's go then." I grinned, excited by the prospect of eating. Not even Bellamy Blake could ruin this for me. My first meal on the ground…

Wells and I slept beneath the tree by the berry bush. As it turns out, they were blackberries, and they were delicious. Enough to take the edge off my hunger at any rate. The storm had cleared and us two pariahs of the camp settled down on a relatively dry piece of land. I fell asleep the instant my head hit the arm that was cushioning it. I awoke with a start when a hand was placed firmly over my mouth to keep me from screaming. My panicked eyes met Bellamy's cold brown one's. I was just about to tell him to take a long walk off a short pier when I noticed what was in his hand. A gun. He held it to his lips warning me to be quiet, and he removed his hand.

"I have to admit, I'm surprised to see you with Jaha. You seemed smarter than that."

I said nothing, looking around for Wells.

"Where is he?"

"Don't worry, your boyfriend isn't dead. Or at least not yet."

My blood ran cold. The icy barrel of the gun kissed my neck, making me shiver. It's cold, I told myself. Not fear. Never fear.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, as Bellamy walked us to a clearing. In the clearing, Wells was kneeling on the ground.

Bellamy smirked at him and then whispered to me, "I told him I'd put one in your leg if he moved while I was gone."

"You're despicable."

"Likewise." He replied. "On the ground."

Not seeing much choice, I knelt beside Wells.

"Now, despite what it may look like, I don't want to shoot you. Hell, Wells, I like you, but I do need them to think that the two of you are dead."

I reached for a rock on the ground beside me, hoping the darkness would give me cover, but Bellamy was quicker.

"Tsk, tsk… I wouldn't if I were you, Tara."

I glanced up, my blue eyes meeting his brown one's and withdrew my hand, scowling.

"That's better."

"Why are you doing this?" Wells asked, imploringly.

"I have my reasons. I also have the gun. So I ask the questions, and the question is, why aren't you helping me? Your dad banished you, Wells, and yet here you are, still doing his bidding, following the rules. Aren't you tired of always doing what's expected of you? Stand up to him. Take off that wristband, and you'll be amazed at how good it feels."

"Never, no, not gonna happen. Is that clear enough for you."

"Yes. It is. I'm sorry it had to be this way." He tucked the gun away in the waistband of his pants.

That's odd, I thought, before following his gaze to where Murphy and his goons were coming into the clearing.

"Get them down. Get the wristbands off." Bellamy ordered. Panic filled my chest, and I did the one thing I knew would get me out of there with my wristband still on. I picked up the rock that I had been reaching towards early and hurled it toward Murphy with all my might. It hit him square in the shoulder, slowing him down briefly, but briefly was all I needed. I leapt to my feet and ran. Ran, and left Wells behind.

"Get her." I heard Bellamy bellow. Adrenaline raced through my veins, and I ran to the one place I knew I might be safe. Using the darkness to my advantage, I raced through the woods to the dropship and quickly climbed the ladder to the roof, ignoring the fact that my boots were sliding like mad on the slick metal surface. At the top, I pulled the ladder up, cutting off access. I dared a glance down to the ground and saw a few of Murphy's friends arguing about who was going to tell Bellamy that I had escaped. Collapsing on the roof, I tried to catch my breath. Tears pricked at my eyes at what had just happened. At how I had just left Wells behind. But on the ground, it's those who run who survive.


	2. Earth Skills

Morning came quickly, considering how rudely I'd been woken in the middle of the night. Sighing, I prepared myself to face another day. I grimaced at the wristband on my hand. For a moment I almost thought about giving in, but then cursed myself for being so weak. What would my dad say if he could see me now... I slid the ladder down from its spot on the roof with me and slid on my boots. First things first, I needed to find Wells and apologize. He deserved a better friend than a coward like me. I found him outside standing over two graves.

"Wells, I wanted to apologize…" I began, but he turned around before I could say anymore and gathered me in a hug.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm glad you made it out of there. You made the right choice."

"It doesn't feel like it." I glanced at his swollen wrist. "I'm glad you're not hurt."

"Just my pride." He smiled slightly. "Want to give me a hand?"

I gathered up the shirts from the two boys, while Well's grabbed the boots. We were just walking back into camp when we ran into Atom.

"Hey, uh, where did you get the clothes?"

"Buried the two kids who died in the landing." Wells replied shortly.

"Smart. You know, I'll take it from here. There is always a market for these things…"

He went to tug the clothes out of my arms, but I jerked away.

"We share based on need, just like on the ark." Wells continued. I didn't understand why he bothered. We should just have kept walking away, avoiding confrontation all together.

"You still don't get it, do you Chancellor." A voice called out, making my thoughts freeze. "Hello Tara. You look well rested."

I glared at Bellamy, who smiled back. He was standing shirtless on the dropship door with a girl draped on his arm. She wore a sports bra and leaned in, giving him a lingering kiss, before he sent her on her way. I rolled my eyes at the scene.

Bellamy reached out and plucked a shirt from my hands.

"Hey, give that back." I said, starting towards him, only to be held back by Atom.

"Woah, Atom. Hold up." Bellamy turned to me, a challenge in his eyes. "You want it back? Take it."

I paused for a moment, considering doing just that, if only to teach him that I wasn't easy to push around, when Wells grabbed the remaining clothes from my arms and tossed them away, along with the shoes he was carrying.

"Is this what you want? Chaos?"

"What's wrong with a little chaos?" He smiled, tugging the blue shirt over his head. I was annoyed to notice the colour looked good on him. Fortunately, I couldn't appreciate that for long, because a scream broke through the noise of the camp. Turning on my heel, I ran towards the noise, Wells following at my heels. A breath caught in my throat at the sight. John Murphy was holding a girl over the fire, keeping her locked in his arms. She screamed and fought to keep away from the flame.

"Hey Bellamy, check it out. We want the Ark to think the ground is killing us right? I figure it will look better if we suffer first."

"Let her go." Wells snarled, stepping towards Murphy.

"You can stop this." I said to Bellamy, annoyed at the plea in my voice. I was even more annoyed when he answered, "Stop this? I'm just getting started."

Wells shoved Murphy, freeing the girl. Murphy scampered to his feet, only to be floored by an explosive punch from Wells. He hit the dirt and I noticed blood trickling from his lip.

"You're dead." Murphy seethed, pulling a knife from his jacket, twirling it in his hand.

"Don't you see you can't control this?" I tried again, going so far as to grab Bellamy's arm. He met my eyes briefly.

"Wait."

I loosed a breath. Finally, the rebel prince himself had seen reason. The relief fled as quickly as it had come when Bellamy threw a knife at Wells feet.

"Fair fight."

"That is not what I meant!" I shouted, trying to step towards Wells to stop the fight, but Bellamy held me back.

"Pick up the knife, Jaha." Bellamy said, gripping my arm tightly. I tried to pull away but his grip was strong.

Wells did, and the fight was over before it even started. Murphy leapt wildly, and Wells dodged, catching the other boy in a headlock, spinning him so the knife Bellamy had given him was at Murphy's throat.

At that moment, Clarke burst from the woods.

"STOP!" she shouted. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Wells released Murphy, who decided to try and lunge forward again. Bellamy released me and stepped forward to control his rabid dog.

"Woah, enough Murphy." Her turned, surveying the group. His eyes landed on Octavia who was being supported by Monty. "Octavia, are you ok?"

"Yeah." She replied, smiling weakly at her older brother.

"Where's the food?" Bellamy asked.

"We never made it to . We aren't alone down here." Finn replied.

"Wait." I said, stepping forward past Bellamy and Murphy, "Where's Jasper?"

"He was hit." Octavia said, limping into the camp.

"What?!" I exclaimed. "We need to go after him!"

"We will." Clarke said, reassuring me. "But first we need to gather supplies and prepare." At that moment Wells came forward and Clarke's face was swept clean of any emotion until she saw his wrist.

"Where is your wristband?" She asked.

"Ask him." Wells grunted, gesturing at Bellamy. I narrowed my eyes at Bellamy who returned my glare with one of his own, before smirking and tapping his wrist, indicating that it was only a matter of time before he got mine.

"You idiots…" Clarke started. "Life support on the Ark is failing. That's why they brought us down here. They need to know the ground is survivable again, and we need their help against whoever is out there. If you take off your wristbands, you're not just killing them. You're killing us!"

Bellamy rolled his eyes and jumped in, cutting off Clarke's speech and I left them all, thoroughly disgusted with everyone. Jasper was out there, probably dying, and everyone was arguing about nothing. I returned to the drop ship where I scaled up onto the roof where I worked on fixing the comms underneath the warm sun. Time flew by and before I knew it, I figured I ought to go and find Clarke so we could be on our way. I was just about to climb down when I heard a voice shout up.

"Kane." The voice said. "Are you up there?" It was Finn and I smiled in relief.

"Sure am. What can I do for ya." I replied.

"Clarke left with some others a little while ago to go look for Jasper." Finn replied.

"What?!" I said, sliding down to the ground. "She left without me?"

"Yeah, no one could find you, but I'm going to go catch up. Fancy coming?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, let me grab my pack." I dashed into the drop ship and found my rucksack filled with the meager first aid supplies I had been able to glean and the couple of knives I had made from the dropship metal. I ran out the door and Finn and I rushed into the woods to catch up with the others. It looked as though we got there just in time.

"Brave Princess." Bellamy said, stepping forward closer to Clarke.

"Why don't you find your own nickname." Finn said as we burst out of the trees. "You guys call this a rescue party? Clarke, come with Tara and I."

"If we're splitting up, I think groups of two would be best." Bellamy said, causing us all to stop.

"Murphy will go with Wells. I'll go with Tara."

Finn caught my eye and shrugged. Of course, he had no idea what had happened yesterday, but I looked at Bellamy with apprehension as Finn and Clarke went off.

"Or." I said, posing the suggestion as innocently as I could, "I could go with Wells. Wouldn't want to break up the dream team, you know." I said gesturing between Murphy and Bellamy. Bellamy looked at Murphy and Murphy nodded, sauntering off, Wells following behind him, looking rather unsure of what to do until he caught my eye and I nodded to let him know I would be alright.

Bellamy and I stood in the woods by ourselves until the air was so thick with tension I sighed and said, "Look, if you're planning on throwing me into anymore trees, pulling guns, or just being a dick in general, just get it over with so we can go find Jasper." I spun on my heel and started walking away.

"If you were really sorry about what happened to Octavia, you would take off that wristband." Was Bellamy's reply. I looked at my wrist and back at him.

"What part of, I got caught because someone else ratted me out, do you not understand. What happened wasn't my fault. I have had 4 years in prison to come to terms with my guilt for what happened, so don't think for one second that you can use it against me." I snarled. I was so done with this. Murphy had better sleep with one eye open for all the trouble he had caused me.

"I'll get it one way or another." Bellamy said, walking towards me.

"Why does it matter so much to you that people I care about think I am dead."

"Well, don't take it personally." He laughed. "It's mostly because of who your dad is. If they think that you're dead, they won't come to earth."

"And then 3000 people will die. Yeah, you're right. I should totally help you commit mass murder. The ark is dying. Earth is their last hope."

"They set you down here to die. What loyalty do you owe them?" Bellamy asked.

"What loyalty do I owe you?" I countered.

"You should think carefully about whose side you're on. I can protect you from those who want to hurt you." Bellamy said, eyes narrowed.

"Like who? Murphy? I can handle myself around that kid. Honestly. I think he's the one who sold me out to begin with." I muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, how else would he know that Octavia got found because I got caught stealing for your family. Literally no one knew that except for like 3 people and the person who offered Nigel something better for information on what I was taking. I mean, hell, you didn't even know I was stealing for you. How could anyone else."

"Why would Murphy want info on you?" Bellamy asked, incredulous.

I sighed. "I don't feel all that inclined to share my backstory with you at the moment, so I think we can end this conversation now. Why don't you ask him if you care so damn much?"

Just then a shout erupted from the direction Finn and Clarke had gone.

"We found a blood trail." Clarke said, running into the clearing. "C'mon." I ran off to grab Murphy and Wells, and the six of us met up at the stream where the blood began.

"How do we know this is fresh? Or if it's even Jaspers?" Bellamy said.

"Spacewalker thinks he's a tracker." Laughed Murphy.

"It's called Cutting sign." Wells replied evenly. "He's one of the best."

"Quiet down." I said, looking back over my shoulder. "Or do you want every grounder in the vicinity to know we are coming?"

Murphy rolled his eyes, but both him and Bellamy lowered their voices.

"Up here!" Clarke cried out.

"Oh my god." Finn said, mouth hanging open in terror. Jasper had been strung up to the tree. He had some kind of poultice on the wound on his chest, but was still streaked in blood and dirt, groaning ever so slightly.

"We have to get him down!" Clarke said, rushing ahead.

"Wait! Be careful!" Bellamy shouted, racing after her. It was a good thing he had because not two steps later, the ground gave way beneath Clarke's feet and she began to fall into a pit. Bellamy stretched forth his hand and caught her wrist at the last second, leaving her dangling over the mass of spikes at the bottom.

"Quick!" I shouted, leaping into action. "Finn, help me pull her up!" Finn and I both reached around Bellamy grabbing Clarke's other arm and helped him pull her up.

"What on earth are we dealing with." Clarke muttered, lying on the ground.

"Something that isn't above using our people as bait." I replied.

"Well, maybe they like their dinner breathing…" was Murphy's dark answer.

"Hey man," Finn said to Murphy, "C'mon and help me cut him down."

While the boys were in the tree helping Jasper to the ground, a growl arose from the tall grass nearby. Bellamy and I exchanged a fearful look.

"Where is your gun?" I mouthed to him, moving as quietly as I could away from the grass and signalling the others to do the same.

He reached to the back of his jeans where he kept the firearm stowed, only to realize it was no longer there.

Just as he turned back to the grass, a massive panther with scale-like skin leaped from the long grass and the group of us on the ground.

 _BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG,_

The shots fired. The first three missed, but the fourth found its mark and the panther creature dropped to the ground at our feet. I turned to look at who had shot, only to see Wells still pulling the trigger on the now empty gun.

"Wells." I said, gently resting my hand on his arm and taking the gun away. "It's ok. It's dead."

Bellamy looked at Wells with an odd sense of appraisal.

"Guys," Clarke said, helping Finn and Murphy with Jasper, "We really need to get him back to camp."

Clarke and I created a makeshift stretcher out of both of our jackets by finding two decent sized sticks and threading them through the arms. Finn and Wells carried Jasper who looked deathly pale, while Bellamy and Murphy carried the massive cat. Upon arriving back at camp, the two of them were met with cheers while hardly anyone noticed poor Jasper. Except for Octavia. Unlike the others she rushed to help Clarke, Finn and I get him into the drop ship and seemed eager to stay with him and help anyway she could. When we finally got Jasper settled and Clarke had done the best she could in means of treating the wound, we left him in the more than capable hands of Monty and Octavia.

"Is he going to be ok?" I asked, clearly worried.

"It's too soon to say." Clarke replied, looking distraught. I gave her a sorrowful look, knowing that she had done the best she could.

"I'm sure he will." I said, faking an optimism I wasn't sure I felt. "He's in good hands."

Clarke smiled appreciatively, but it didn't reach her eyes because she was so worried.

"C'mon. The best thing he can do for now is rest. Let's go see if we can find Finn and snag some food." She replied.

Finn was just outside the drop ship. Clarke joined him, but sensing that they would rather be alone, I took some discretion and wandered off closer to the fire to see what was going on with the cooking ordeal. Everyone had formed an orderly line, but what I saw next filled me with a cold dread. They were taking their bracelets off for food. Bellamy and Murphy stood at the front of the group and each delinquent who removed a bracelet was met with a round of cheers and large portion of meat on a stick. My mouth dropped open. What kind of society was this? I was just about to walk up and say something when I noticed Finn go up and grab a stick of meat without taking off his wristband.

"Woah, woah, woah?" Murphy said, grabbing him. "You think you play by different rules?"

"I thought there were no rules." Was Finn's calm reply before he walked back over to Clarke, the two of them going to sit down and eat close to the edge of the forest. Bellamy, sensing that things were going to get away from him, decked the next kid who tried to take a piece of meat without taking off his wristband.

"Hey!" I shouted, rushing up to help the poor kid who was now clutching his jaw. "You think you can just go around punching people?" I squared up and looked Bellamy in the eye.

"You know what, sweetheart?" He said, stepping closer to me. "I can do whatever the hell I want." This phrase was met with a cheer from the crowd behind him.

"That's a dangerous way of thinking and you're going to get us all killed." I retorted crossing my arms.

"Only those who don't follow my rules." He said smirking.

"And what rules would those be?" I replied coolly, eyes hooded. I wished he was shorter so I could at least have height as an intimidation factor. Being tall had normally helped me in that regard, but Bellamy looked down at me and grinned.

"Basically, Do whatever I say."

I scoffed and pushed him away from me.

"Why don't you make me." I shoved past him grabbed some food and went to storm away only to be stopped by a hand on my shoulder.

"Now, now, darling. You heard the man." Murphy said, condescendingly. "You want to eat? Take of the wristband."

I noticed that kids who didn't want to take of their bracelets were using this distraction as an opportunity to steal food and figured I better make this last as long as possible to give them their best chance.

"You know what you two are?" I said, shoving Murphy off me and dropping the food. "You're bullies."

"Bullies?" Bellamy asked. "I am trying to build a society. These are my people and I can give them protection. Protection from the ark and protection from the grounders. But they have to follow me if they want that to happen. And so far, I haven't seen anyone else stepping up to take the job. You wanna be leader Kane?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

"No." I replied.

"I find that hard to believe." Was Murphy's retort.

"You got something to say, tough guy?" I said, patience wearing thin. "Just say it. In fact, why don't you tell him about how you knew my secret Hmm? I bet that's a great story." The sarcasm in my voice was cutting and Murphy's gaze turned cold.

"I knew your secret because you stole ration points for my mother. You might not have known what they were for, but they were to sustain her alcohol problem. That's right, Tara. You created her alcohol addiction and you fed it too. I went to Nigel to ask for information on the thief, mostly so I could stop them from giving her booze, but what I overheard was something far better. I didn't turn you in." He said stepping up to me. "But I know who did."

"Who?" I asked, suddenly chilled.

"Well. Look who wants something now. Tell you what. Take off the wristband and I'll tell you." Murphy smirked.

"You're gonna tell me right now, you little piece of shit, "I said, leaping at him and punching, "Or so help me god, you are gonna wish you had."

Bellamy snapped his fingers and suddenly two guys pulled me off Murphy who was grinning despite the blood running down his face. He laughed and spat at my feet.

"You bitch." He grinned. "You're gonna pay for that." He smacked me once, hard across the face. Hard enough to make me collapse to the ground seeing stars. The two guys pulled me back to my feet. Murphy looked like he was going to hit me again, but Bellamy stepped forward.

"You've heard the terms." He said to me. "You want to know who turned you in?" He grabbed my wrist and gestured. "Then this comes off."

The silence was thick but finally, I nodded once. I could see the light of victory in both his eyes and Murphy's. They knew what this information was costing me. I set my arm down on the rock and Murphy stepped forward, malice in his eyes, but thankfully Bellamy pushed him away, insisting on doing this one himself. Secretly I was grateful. At least now I knew why Murphy had hated me so much on the ark and continued to hate me. He blamed me for his mother's alcoholism, but I hadn't known. I thought the points were going to feed her son and keep the electricity on. It was sadly ironic that I had actually been trying to help the kid who hated my guts.

The wristband snapped off and the lights flickered and died. I felt like crying but resolved I wouldn't until I was alone on the roof.

"Now." I said, my voice wavered only slightly. "Who sold me out."

"It was your boyfriend. The one in the guard. What was his name? Patrick? Guess he finally got sick of your do-gooder ways. I heard him telling Nigel that is was the utmost importance that if you come to her for anything, she tell him, and he would give her double in value whatever you were giving her to keep quiet."

My face drained of colour and my legs felt weak. I was surprised I was still standing actually.

"Wanna know the best past?" Murphy grinned. He looked like a demon, blood still running from his nose and staining his teeth. "They promoted him for turning you in. Last I heard, he was on the council with your dear old dad. Guess they're killing people together now."

I was too shell-shocked to say anything remotely witty and the worst part was I saw Bellamy looking at me, pity in his eyes. I spun on my heel and walked away with all the composure I had left. I didn't think I would be able to climb to the top of the drop ship in this state, so instead I went into the woods and walked and walked, until I came to a field that was aglow with bioluminescent butterflies. There, I collapsed against a tree and started to cry. I cried for about 10 minutes, silent tears rolling down my cheeks only broken by my occasional sob. I finally regained some composure. It had been years since I had seen Patrick. So what if he had turned me in. So what if he had used me to get a promotion. Everyone on the ark thought I was dead now, and maybe, with luck, he would feel some remorse for what he had done. If not, at least I got to come to earth and see all these wonders. I took a deep breath and was just starting to feel better when I heard a twig snap. I didn't even think. I pulled my makeshift knife from my boot and hurled it in the direction of the sound. It embedded itself in a tree about 3 cm away from a very startled looking Bellamy Blake.

"You know," He said, pulling my knife free and flipping it around in his palm. "I was going to tell you it's not safe to be out here on your own, but it looks like you can handle yourself."

"Clearly." I huffed. "Come to gloat? Cause I'm really not in the mood. Maybe tomorrow, or a year from now."

"Actually I came to bring you this, but if you rather I go…." He smiled, not the malicious smile I had become used to seeing, but a kind one that touched his eyes. He held out a portion of the meat.

I looked at the meat for a while, hunger evident in my face before turning away and saying, "I'm not hungry."

He laughed at that. "C'mon Tara. You have to eat. If only to kick the shit out of Murphy again."

I gave a begrudging laugh at that and took the food. He sat down beside me in the butterfly field.

"I'm sorry." I said. "I suppose it is my fault, everything that's happened to you."

"How do you figure that?"

"Well, I trusted Patrick with my secret. I never figured he would betray it to further his career." I said, sadness washing over me in waves.

"I was a guard once. Most of them are dicks." Bellamy said.

"Yourself included." I stated.

"That's more like the Tara I know and mostly despise." He smiled again. "But, I want to apologize too. "

"For what?" I asked, still taking bites of the meat. It was rather charred, but it filled my stomach.

"For blaming you for what happened to O. This doesn't mean that we are good. It just means that I think you were actually trying to help us."

"Well thanks, genius. What lead you to that conclusion aside from the fact that it's what I've been telling you since day one." I smiled slightly.

"When we were at the campfire and you distracted us to let kids who didn't want to take their wristbands off get food. You care about people who can't help themselves." It was stated as an observation, not a compliment, but I took it as one anyways.

"You do realize in this case that you were the person I was protecting them from." I said, eyebrow raised.

He shrugged. "I do have to bring you back to camp now though."

I sighed deeply and glared at him. "Just when I thought we were getting along. What on earth for."

"We're closing the dropship doors and unless you want to be left outside with the grounders, I suggest you follow me." He said standing up.

"Ever the voice of reason." I replied, rolling my eyes, but followed him back to the dropship nonetheless.


	3. Earth Kills

The moaning was driving everyone insane. Well, everyone except for Clarke. She just look exhausted. I had left her on the top level of the dropship with Finn, Wells, and Octavia to help her look after Jasper, and was trying to catch some sleep on the lower level, but Jasper's groans were keeping everyone up.

"Kid's a goner." Bellamy said. "They have to know that. Keeping him alive is only prolonging his suffering."

"Hey." I snapped. "If Clarke says there's hope, then there's hope. Unless of course, you happen to have some medicinal background you forgot to share."

Bellamy glared, but didn't add anything to his previous comment. He went upstairs to check on everyone and I sighed. Secretly, I agreed with him. I didn't want Jasper to suffer, but it was a tough call to make, and it had to be Clarke's call. She was the one investing all the time and effort to look after him. If only I could get the communication systems up and running, maybe the ark could help.

" _Eauuuggggghhhhh"_ Came Jaspar's cry from above. Unable to take it anyone, I kicked off my makeshift parachute blanket and went to the dropship door, only to see it being manned by one of Bellamy's followers. Some bloke named Atom.

"Let me outside." I said.

"No one leaves till the morning. Bellamy's orders." Atom responded, cradling his arms as though he were in pain. I glanced at his wrists and saw some serious rope burn and bruises and raised my eyebrows at him. His only response was to pull down his jacket sleeves.

"Well, I don't take orders from Bellamy so I suggest you let me pass." I replied, crossing my arms.

"It's not safe out there until we get a wall built. Besides, Bellamy isn't one to cross." Atom said.

"Whatever." I scoffed. "I'll be back." I maneuvered around sleeping bodies, careful not to disturb anyone's already fitful sleep. I found Bellamy climbing down the ladder from the top floor where Jasper was being kept.

"If he's not better by tomorrow, I'll kill him myself." He shouted up to Clarke and everyone else on the top floor. Landing on the floor and seeing me, he raised an eyebrow. "And what could you possibly want at this hour."

"Let me outside of the dropship." I said.

"No. It's not safe."

"Okay, One, Just because I gave you my wristband does not mean I am part of your merry little band now, so I don't take orders from you, and Two, I think I might know a way to help Jasper, so I suggest you swallow your pride and do what _I_ say."

"Sweetheart," Bellamy replied, "Everyone takes orders from me because I provide the food. What is your genius way to save Jasper that involves you putting your life at risk? Hmm?"

"If I can get the comms up and running, we can talk to the ark and maybe they can help us." I replied.

"Could you do that?" Bellamy asked, with a panic I didn't understand in his eyes.

"Possibly. I mean, I've been fixing the wires so we have electricity and heat so far, because, you know, priorities, but I need to look at the transmitters and see if they are at all fixable. The few I glanced at got fried when we entered the atmosphere, but the relays might be able to be pieced together enough to make a functional one. "

"Tara, I can't let you go up on the roof now. It's dark, it's raining. You'll fall and break your neck, ok? Wait until the dawn."

"I'll be fine. I always am. Jasper can't wait till dawn."

"I said No."

"I'm not asking for your permission, I'm asking for you to tell your goon guarding the door to let me out."

"The answer is still no."

I huffed and shoved him, spinning on a heel and turning away. "If Jasper dies and I could have saved him, this is on you."

I curled up in my corner again, wrapped in the thin parachute material and was just drifting off to sleep when I heard Murphy and Bellamy talking.

"Murphy, do you know what a transmitter looks like?" was the last thing I heard before I fell into a deep, deep sleep.

I awoke to the sounds of voices chatting and the drop ship door opening. I quickly leaped up and shoved past Atom who was still lowering the door. I quickly scaled the slippery ladder up to the roof and looked around for the transmitters to see if I could piece them into a new one and contact the ark. What I saw nearly broke my heart. The transmitters were broken into fragments, and far more burned than they had been when I had initially seen them. It looked as though someone had sabotaged them. I groaned in frustration before throwing the useless pieces off the side of the ship.

"Um, ow?" came a voice. I looked over the edge of the ship to see Clarke, looking thoroughly exhausted. I quickly climbed down the ladder and apologized.

"Sorry. I thought I could rig these," I gestured to the broken transmitters" to contact the ark and get help for Jaspar, but they've been ruined. Either by the storm last night or by something else, I'm not sure. If Bellamy had let me out last night when I had the idea, maybe I could have."

"And there is no way to contact the ark with these?" Clarke asked.

"Not even if I had the world's largest roll of duct tape. These are beyond fixing. " I sighed. "How is he anyways?"

"Not good." Clarke said. "But I have a plan. You remember that poultice that was on his wound?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that weird plant?"

"I think it's some sort of antibiotic. If we could find it, we could brew it into a tea and maybe help him recover from the fever."

"Do you know what kind of plant it is? I hate to say I can't help, but I failed botany."

"Wells knows what it is. Me, him and Finn are going to go get it. But I have a favour to ask you." Clarke responded.

"You want me to watch Jasper while you're gone?" I guessed.

"No, Octavia and Monty have that under control, but can you keep Bellamy away? I don't want him doing anything drastic while we are gone."

"You mean like killing him. Gotcha. I'll do my best." I said.

"Thanks. I owe you. " Clarke smiled a relieved look.

"That you do. Now go save that poor kids life."

"Trust me, I'm doing my best." Clarke replied, heading off to meet Finn and Wells at the mouth of the forest. I glanced around looking for the person I was supposed to distract and noticed him over on the far side of camp showing Murphy and some others how to throw various weapons to hunt. I pulled my knife from my boot and flipped it in my palm, before heading over there and walking past them into the forest.

"Hey, hey, hey, where do you think you're going?" Murphy said, noticing me first.

"What are you, my keeper?" I said, continuing to walk towards the forest. "I'm hunting."

"You're hunting…" Bellamy chimed in, incredulous.

"Don't think I can do it?" I asked, flipping my knife, and hurling it towards their practice target. It stuck slightly off from the center, but it was still pretty good for the distance I threw it from. Atom let out a whistle.

"Does this have anything to do with last night?" Bellamy asked.

"I am not going to prove a point, I'm going because, let's face it, I'm one of the better hunters in this group." I said, standing hands on my hips.

"Well, in that case," Bellamy went and pulled my knife from the target and handed it back to me. "I suppose you're coming with us. Have you ever killed anything before?"

"Nope. But I suppose there is a first time for everything." I muttered, following Bellamy, Atom, and 2 others into the woods. Murphy, thankfully, stayed behind. I doubted I could have managed dealing with both of them today.

We were only about ten minutes out of camp when a branch snapped behind us and Bellamy turned around, hurling his axe. It embedded itself in a tree, not very far away from the face of a frightened young girl.

"Who are you? You need to go back to camp, it's not safe out here! I could have killed you!" Bellamy said to her, kneeling down so he was at her level.

"My name is Charlotte. I just didn't want to hear the boy screaming anymore." She said, looking at Bellamy with big, sad eyes. He glanced at her for a moment before shrugging and pulling out a knife from his jacket.

"You ever kill anything before, Charlotte?" He asked. She shook her head, no. "Who knows. Maybe you'll be good at it."

Charlotte smiled shyly and took the knife in her small hand. When Bellamy stood up, I pulled him aside.

"You cannot be serious." I said. "Giving a knife to a little girl?"

"You seem to handle your knives perfectly fine." Bellamy shrugged.

"I am not a little girl. Bellamy, what if she gets hurt?!"

"Well then, I guess that's on me too, isn't it." He stepped past me only to see an advancing cloud of yellow fog.

"What the hell?" He muttered.

"Charlotte," I shouted," Run!"

Atom and Bellamy turned to run as well, and the other two guys took off in the opposite direction in hopes of finding shelter closer.

"There are some caves up ahead. If we can make it there, we should be ok." Bellamy shouted, grabbing my hand, dragging me behind him. Charlotte had already headed my warning and taken off in front of us. We were just about at the cave entrance when Atom tripped on a root and got consumed by the cloud.

"Atom!" I called out, digging in my heels, so my arm wrenched out of Bellamy's grip. "We have to help him." I said to Bellamy, who had turned around. Charlotte was already safe in the mouth of the cave, but as the fog touched my outstretched hand, I screamed as it burned my skin.

Bellamy grabbed me and said, "There is nothing we can do for him now. C'mon." The two of us joined Charlotte in the cave and the acid yellow fog choked off the entrance. The three of us huddled near the back waiting for the fog to pass.

"Acid fog… What next?" Bellamy asked, incredulous.

I turned to Charlotte, who looked dead tired, and said, "We're probably gonna be stuck here a while. You want to sleep? You can have my jacket as a blanket or something."

Charlotte nodded, sticking her knife in her boot as she had seen me do, and took my offered coat. Bellamy shucked off his jacket and handed it to the little girl as well. She bunched the one coat up as a pillow and used the other as a blanket, before curling up and drifting off to sleep. I sat in the dark cave, trying not to shiver, but it didn't do much good. The rain last night had made everything damp and a chill clung in the air. Without my jacket, all I had was my thin, long sleeved shirt, to keep me warm. Bellamy didn't look much warmer.

"You know," Bellamy said eventually, "We'll be warmer if we sit together."

"Whaa-aaa-aa-t." I shivered, "You'ree co-co-cold?"

He laughed and put an arm around me. I tensed at his touch.

"Relax Kane, if I were going to pull moves on you, this is not how I would do it." He smirked.

"Please. " I grinned. "As if any of your so called "moves" would work on me. I've seen you womanizing the camp."

"Is that a challenge?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. I blushed, and then hated myself for blushing. I was saved from have to answer by Charlotte letting out a blood curdling scream. Bellamy jumped up quickly and was by her side in an instant.

"Charlotte, what's the matter? What's wrong?"

Charlotte sat up in a frenzy but upon realizing where she was, she calmed down slightly.

"It's my parents." She cried. "They were floated. And everytime I sleep, I see it in my dreams. I'm afraid it's going to happen to me."

"Charlotte," I said softly, gently stroking the girls hair, "I'm so sorry about your parents. But they can't float you now. You're safe. You're on earth. You're safe." Her quiet sobs broke my heart, and apparently even softened Bellamy's stone heart, because he spoke up.

"You can't afford to be afraid down here kid. It's a weakness and it'll get you killed. You still have that knife I gave you?" He asked, and she nodded, pulling it from her boot. "Good. Now, whenever you feel scared you grip that knife and say 'Screw you, I'm not afraid.'"

Charlotte gripped the knife. "Screw you, I'm not afraid."

Bellamy grinned and ruffled her hair. "Atta girl. Slay your demons when you're awake kid, and they won't be there to get you when you're asleep."

Charlotte curled back up and went to sleep again, clutching her knife in a death grip, whispering over and over again, "Screw you, I'm not afraid." She seemed to sleep more peacefully.

"Interesting advice to give a 12 year old." I said.

"It'll be more helpful than false reassurances." He noted.

"Every kid wants to be told that they are safe. Even if it isn't true." I whispered back. Bellamy sat down beside me again, but didn't say anything about that comment. I decided to take that as acknowledgment that it was true. The fog cleared a while later, and I shook Charlotte awake, avoiding the knife in her hand.

"Charlotte," I said, "Fogs gone. Let's get back to camp, ok?" She rubbed her bleary eyes, but nodded, following Bellamy and I out of the cave. We had only made it a few steps when we heard an inhuman whimper coming from a couple meters away. Bellamy and I made eye contact before running in the direction of the sound, Charlotte close behind.

"Oh my god." I said, upon seeing the mangled face. "Atom. He's still alive."

"Tara, take Charlotte, go back to camp." Bellamy said, sounding rather empty. I ignored him, and walked towards the body.

"Oh my god." I repeated again.

" _Kill me"_ Atom groaned, barely audible. "Please, kill me. Kill me. Kill me."

I turned and shouted, "Charlotte, get back to camp, okay, we'll be there soon." I sat, cradling the head of the poor boy who was in a world of pain, and Bellamy knelt beside me. Just as Charlotte disappeared over the ridge, Finn and Clarke appeared. Clarke rushed down to us. Upon seeing the situation, and looking at Bellamy, seeing his hesitation to kill the boy who had been his friend, she reached out and took the knife from him.

"Tara," she whispered, and I looked up at her through the tears forming in my eyes. "Go with Finn. Give Jasper the seaweed in a tea. We'll be there soon." I nodded and stood up woodenly, walking over to Finn. He grabbed my hand and lead me away from the gruesome scene, but the echoes of "Kill me, kill me, kill me," still plagued my mind.

Finn and I raced back to the camp and quickly brewed some of the seaweed into a tea. Monty administered the tea while I ground up the rest of the seaweed into a paste and applied it to the wound again. All that was left to do was wait.

About half an hour later Clarke came up the ladder and sat down on the floor next to Monty, Jasper, Finn and I. No one spoke. Finally, I couldn't take the silence anymore.

"So how is Jasper doing?" I asked, my voice cracking in the silence. Clarke looked at me and then over at Jasper.

"Well, he's stopped groaning, so I'm going to say that is a good sign." Clarke said, sounding relieved. I was glad too, not just for Jasper but for her as well. I didn't think she could handle 2 deaths in one day.

"Good thing too. I don't know if we could stop Murphy a second time." Monty said, looking exhausted.

"What?!" My voice snapped.

"You didn't hear?" Monty asked. "I thought Octavia would tell you. When you guys were out hunting, Murphy tried to come up here and put Jasper out of his misery."

"Well, tell him to hold off just yet." Came the muffled slur from Jasper. Everyone gasped in shock and rushed to his side.

"Got any more of the tea?" He groaned, and Clarke laughed, handing him another cup.

"He's gonna be ok." She smiled.

"I don't know if Murphy will be." I said, climbing over to the ladder. "He and I are gonna have some words."

I left the happy group, pausing briefly to tell the distraught Octavia that Jasper was going to be OK. Even though she was mourning Atom, she rushed up to see Jasper, relief present in her eyes. I found Murphy standing by some of the food we had brought back from our hunt, watching others do the hard work of skinning and cleaning the animals. Occasionally he would bark out orders, earning him dirty looks from all those hard at work.

"Ah, the rebel princess herself. What could you possibly want." Murphy said upon seeing me walk up to him.

"You listen to me very carefully John Murphy." I said, stepping up so I was toe to toe with him. "You try and hurt someone in this camp again without reason and you'll have me to answer to."

"Is that supposed to scare me." Murphy scoffed. "You're the one who should be watching their back, Kane."

"Is that a threat?" I replied evenly, narrowing my eyes. Murphy shrugged, taking out his knife and flipping it in his palm.

"Just stay out of my way." Murphy said, shoving me backwards and turning back to his supervising task.

"Self-entitled prick." I muttered as I walked back to the dropship to rejoin my friends. "Anyone seen Wells?" I asked a group of kids passing by.

"He was on guard duty last I heard." A girl called Munroe replied. "Bellamy set up shifts until we build a wall."

I nodded and headed up to see Jasper, where I stayed with the small group, falling asleep just before the sun rose.


	4. Murphy's Law

I awoke to someone kicking my leg.

"Rise and shine, darling."

I glared up at the face of a very smug looking Bellamy Blake. Standing behind him was Murphy.

"Leave me alone. I want to sleep." I muttered, pulling my makeshift blanket over my head.

"You can sleep when you're dead. There's work to do." Murphy spit.

"I don't recall asking your opinion on the matter." I groaned. Bellamy grabbed the blanket and pulled it away from me. I futilely tried to hang onto it, but ended up grasping at empty air as he held it out of reach.

"C'mon." He said, giving me another light kick. "We have a wall to build. Even Jasper is up."

I looked over at the bed where Jasper had been and was surprised to see it was empty. That seaweed must have been pretty fast acting…..or it could also have been the fact that Monty, Octavia and I had taken it in turns to dose him up every hour over the night. Regardless, it was good he was on his feet.

"This is ridiculous. I still say you should just strap her up to a tree like you did to Atom." Murphy muttered. I thought back to the bruises I had seen on Atom's wrists and glared at Bellamy.

"Best not speak ill of the dead." I muttered, sitting up. "What's on the agenda."

"Well, given that you aren't particularly fond of following orders, I'm putting you in charge of something. Prove to me that you can handle it." Bellamy smirked.

"I can handle anything. Especially anything you give me." I replied back, with a ghost of a smile.

"You're in charge of the west wall. Murphy has the east. Whoever has the better results by sundown gets the better tent. Something tells me you're tired of sleeping on the cold, metal floor."

"What inspired you to build the wall now? What's the rush. We haven't seen any more grounders." I asked, following the two out of the dropship. Bellamy's face hardened.

"Wells is dead. We found him outside this morning. Killed by grounders." Bellamy said, devoid of feeling. My face blanched.

"You can't be serious…" I choked out.

"You wanna help dig the grave, princess? I saw him myself." Murphy replied harshly. The two of them walked out of the drop ship and I followed.

"Have you buried him?" I asked, still in shock. "How did he die? How do you know it was grounders?"

"Listen Tara, he was stabbed in the neck, and missing fingers. Who else would have had reason to kill him?" Bellamy replied, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder, clearly remembering that Wells and I had sort of been friends.

"I can think of a few people. " I replied with a side glance at Murphy, who returned my glare with one of his own.

"Enough chat. We've work to do." Bellamy said, leaving me and Murphy to glare at each other. I looked him up and down, scoffed at his attempt at intimidation and spun on my heel to walk away to the west wall. A group of teens were gathered around, piling scrap metal, trees, and basically anything they could find into a tall wall. I immediately rolled up my sleeves and helped out, helping pull cut down trees out of the forest and eventually, the wall began to progress outwards as well as upwards. By the time a few hours had passed, the small group Bellamy had tasked to the west wall were exhausted, myself included.

"Take a break guys. Get some water, food, sleep, whatever. You deserve it." I tossed some small packs of dried fruit to a couple people on my team, wiping the sweat off my brow and walking over to see how well Murphy was making out. Horribly, I hoped. Turning the corner I saw that although our progress was similar, I was ahead of him, and my workers were a lot happier.

"Get back on your feet!" Murphy shouted ruthlessly at one poor kid who had collapsed.

"I just need some water."

"You can have water when the wall is finished." Murphy replied, aiming a kick at the boy on the ground. I jumped in at this point, blocking the kick with my own leg and handing the boy on the ground my cup of water.

"What do you think you're doing?" Murphy said, glancing me up and down.

"You do realize that these are people, not slaves." I retorted. "You could try treating them like it. Maybe then you would be on schedule."

"Don't tell me how to do my job, bitch." Murphy said, taking a step forward in my direction.

I relaxed my posture and crossed my arms, laughing. "I may be a bitch, but I'm a bitch who is kicking your ass. " I grinned and went to go back to work when I saw Clarke burst from a tent holding a knife.

"You son of a bitch." Clarke said to Murphy, incredulous.

"What's your problem?" Murphy replied.

"Recognize this?" Clarke spat, holding the knife up in front of Murphy's face.

"It's my knife. Where'd you find it." Murphy said, still not overly concerned.

"Where you dropped it after you killed Wells." Clarke choked out.

"What?" Murphy replied, obviously taken aback. "The grounders killed Wells, not me. Bellamy. Bellamy, you don't really believe this crap."

Bellamy looked at his second and seemed uncomfortable. "You threatened to kill him."

"Tried to kill Jasper too." Octavia chimed in. I felt the tension in the group of people. As much as I disliked Murphy, and had had my suspicions about him killing Wells, seeing his reaction to the accusation had convinced me he was innocent.

"I say we float him!" Shouted the guy who had been on the ground, collapsed from exhaustion due to Murphy's harsh command.

"This is ridiculous!" Murphy shouted. "I don't have to answer to you. I don't have to answer to anyone."

"Come again?" Bellamy asked, in a dangerous tone.

Murphy realized his mistake, and said "Bellamy, I'm telling you, I didn't do this."

"They found his fingers on the ground with your knife…" Bellamy said, still looking unsure. I saw him glance at me, and saw my own fear of the growing uprising reflected in his eyes. He was trying to diffuse the situation but it wasn't working.

"FLOAT HIM, FLOAT HIM, FLOAT HIM!" A chant had started. The mob broke, rushing forward and shoving Murphy to the ground. He was kicked, tied up and tossed down a hill, while one boy tied a noose from a piece of rope. Clarke was frantically trying to get everyone to stop and when she realized there was no control, she turned to Bellamy.

"You can stop them! They listen to you!" She was nearly in tears. Bellamy didn't say anything.

I pulled a knife from my boot, waiting. I didn't know what was going to happen, but I wasn't going to let them murder someone innocent, no matter how horrible of a person they were, and if Bellamy didn't stop them soon, I would. Murphy was gagged and forced up onto a tree trunk. Someone laced the noose around his neck. His eyes were full of fear and met mine from across the crowd. I didn't know what to do. Then I saw Bellamy step forward, and let out a sigh of relief. But what I saw happen was not what I expected. With one deft gesture, Bellamy kicked the stump out from under Murphy's feet and he fell, the rope choking off his oxygen. Clarke screamed, and hit Bellamy, but he caught her hands, holding her away from him, shouting that this was her fault. I looked left and right at the mob, and made my split second decision. I threw my knife, which sliced cleanly through the rope, and the choking Murphy fell to the ground. The mob seemed shocked, and then turned towards me.

"Why would you do that? He's guilty." Someone shouted.

"Bellamy, do something. She freed him!"

"Float her too!"

"STOP!" I shouted. "How do you know he's guilty, hmm? Circumstantial evidence? You want to kill someone? You better have some damn solid proof before you do, because there is no way in hell I am gonna stand by while you all turn yourselves into murders. "

"You can't stop all of us." The one boy said – the same boy who I had saved from getting kicked. "Why do you even want to help him."

"God, you are a moron, aren't you." I snarled at him. "I may not like Murphy, and yes, he is a first class ass, but does he deserve to die?"

"YES!" The boy cried, and the crowd turned back to Murphy, while 3 or 4 of them restrained me from trying to get another knife to cut the noose again.

"STOP!" A small voice rang out. "I DID IT, OK? I KILLED WELLS!"

The confession stopped everyone in their tracks, and I pulled my arms free, shoving the guys who had tried to restrain me. Finn rushed forward to free Murphy who was once again strung up and dangling.

"Charlotte?" Bellamy said, pulling her aside. "What?"

"I did it. I killed him." Charlotte sobbed. Bellamy looked around and then took Charlotte to a tent in the camp. Clarke followed, as did Finn, and I. Apparently, upon finding out that Murphy was innocent, a bunch of people had returned to help him get untied, and I did not want to be around for the aftermath of that ordeal. We needed to get Charlotte safe…ASAP.

"BRING THE GIRL OUT, BELLAMY!" The voice of a very angry John Murphy rang out.

"If any of you have any bright ideas, now's the time to speak up." Bellamy sighed. When no one spoke, he scoffed. "Oh. Now you stay quiet."

"Those are your boys out there." Clarke replied angrily.

"This" Bellamy gestured to everything, "This is not my fault. If you had just kept quiet, those idiots would still be building the wall."

"BRING HER OUT!" Murphy roared from outside.

"No, Bellamy, please." Charlotte whimpered.

"Hey, it's going to be ok, alright?" Bellamy said, crouching down to her level, an unusual amount of kindness in his eyes.

"Okay…." I muttered. " I may have a plan. You're not gonna like it. It's not a very good one."

"Anything is better than nothing." Finn said, frantic.

"Charlotte," I whispered, "You're gonna go with Finn and Clarke. They're going to keep you safe."

"That's your plan?" Bellamy asked. "Really?"

"Look. We need time. Everyone out there needs to calm the fuck – whoops, sorry charlotte- down, and that's not gonna happen while she's here."

"They're not gonna just let them walk out of here." Bellamy replied.

"Yeah, well, that's where you come in. We're going to need to distract them."

Bellamy nodded, looking solemn. I pulled another knife from my boot and Bellamy looked at me. "How many knives do you carry?"

"Enough." I replied, and then turned to Clarke, Finn, and Charlotte. "You guys gonna be ok?" I asked, handing them the knife. Clarke took it and nodded. "Yes. I know somewhere we can go."

"Ok. Well then." I spun to Bellamy. "Show time."

The two of us walked out of the tent while Charlotte, Clarke and Finn snuck out the back.

"Well, look who decided to join us." Murphy spit sarcastically.

"Dial it down and back off." Bellamy shouted to Murphy.

"Or what? You gonna hang me?"

"I was just giving the people what they wanted."

"Yeah….ok. Let's do that. Murphy turned to the group of people behind him. Who wants to see the real murderer strung up?" Approximately 5 people raised their hand. "Oh I see. So when you want to hang me, its fine, but when this bitch confesses, you want to let her walk?!"

"Hey, hey!" Bellamy shouted. "It's over. "

"H'okay boss." Murphy smiled.

Bellamy turned to walk away and Murphy stepped up, picked up a stick and bashed him over the back of the head with it. Bellamy collapsed unconscious. Octavia cried out and went to throw a punch at Murphy, who went to hit her back, but his fist was blocked by Jasper stepping in front of it and taking the hit.

"Get out of my way, Kane." Murphy said, dangerously.

"I can't let you go in there." I said, hoping my fear didn't show in my voice.

"I was afraid you'd say that." Murphy replied, swinging a punch at my head. I ducked, and kicked out at his leg, only to have one of Murphy's buddies grab me by the arms and haul me backwards.

"Let me go!" I shouted.

Murphy stormed forward into the tent and was shocked to find it empty. He turned to me, completely irate.

"Where'd they go." He whispered, anger colouring his voice.

"You mean there not there?" I feigned surprise.

"You're going to tell me where they went, and I suggest you do it right now."

"Couldn't even if I wanted to, and – oh wait – no, I don't want to." I spit.

Murphy nodded, as if accepting what he had to do, and hit me hard across the face. I fell to my knees, spitting blood from my mouth. He pulled me back my feet by my hair and I cringed.

"Bellamy can't save you this time." He grinned.

"I saved your life you asshole." I said.

"Well, you did a shit job of it." He said, punching me again.

"Remind me not to try next time, then." I groaned.

"Where did they go!" Murphy shouted, pulling me back up to eye level, his buddy still holding my arms back. He hit me again, and I fell to the ground, a whimper escaping my lips.

"Hey! Murphy!" A shout came. "I found tracks!" Murphy grinned, reached down, pulled my last knife from my jacket and whispered, " You can't save everyone, Tara Kane."

The minute he left, Jasper, Monty and Octavia rushed forward to see if I was ok.

"We need to get ice or something on your face." Jasper said, looking lost.

"That bad, huh? How's Bellamy?" I asked Octavia.

"He's still out of it. Hey! One of you guys" Octavia waved over a couple of guys who knew Bellamy and had them lift him into his tent and set on his bed. I struggled to my feet and walked into the tent as well, fully intending to check his pupils to see if he had a concussion, but the minute I stood up, I passed out and was saved from landing on the ground again by Jasper and Monty's arms holding me up.

I woke up a few minutes later, aching all over, and thoroughly angry. Bellamy was waking up too and looked shocked to see my battered face.

"You look awful." He commented.

"Well, I've seen you look better as well." I commented back.

"Well, if you're being sarcastic, you can't feel too bad." He half grinned, and then scowled. "I'm going to kill Murphy."

"Isn't that what started this whole thing?" I muttered, pushing myself off the bed where I had been draped. My head ached, and my vision swam for a moment, but once it settled, I felt good enough to stand.

"Woah, woah, woah." Bellamy said, gently placing a hand on my shoulder. "Where do you think you're going."

"To find Finn, Clarke, and Charlotte." I said.

"I don't think so. You're staying here."

"I'm fine. "

"You don't look fine." He retorted. "I'm doing this for your own safety."

"I don't need you to protect me. I am perfectly capable of doing that myself." I said, but it lacked my usual venom.

"Are you?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

"Look, I'm going. Whether you leave and I follow, or we go together, I'm still going. And there isn't much you can do short of tying me up that is going to stop me."

Bellamy looked like he was seriously considering that option before nodding in consent.

"Fine. But if it gets too dangerous, you leave when I tell you to leave."

I rolled my eyes at that, but nodded. Just then, Octavia, Monty and Jasper burst into the tent.

"Oh good! You're up!" Jasper said, rushing forward and hugging me tightly. I winced slightly, but hugged him back.

"Did I worry you?" I laughed slightly.

"Tara. If we're doing this, we need to leave now." Bellamy said, standing by the tent flap.

"You're going after them." Octavia said, a statement, not a question. "I figured as much." She took her bag off her shoulder and passed me two knives. Bellamy picked up his axe and the two of us turned to the door.

"Stay safe." Monty said, looking at me with worry.

"She will." Bellamy glared at me.

The two of us trekked into the forest and it wasn't long before we picked up Murphy's trail. He was shouting loudly and carrying a torch that stood out like a sore thumb in the dark forest.

"I hope Finn, Clarke and Charlotte are ok." I said, worried.

"They will be. Clarke will take care of them." His eyes softened when he said her name, and I smiled to myself thinking " _Someone has a crush._ "

"They're heading toward the cliff!" I whispered, "You go that way, and I'll sneak around behind, just in case."

Bellamy looked like he didn't really like that plan, but he didn't offer a better one. Instead he gave me a solemn nod and headed off. I stayed on the damp moss for a short while, collecting myself, before I headed the other way. When I got to the position where I was behind Murphy's small crew, I realized just how far out of hand the situation had already gotten. Bellamy was standing with his back to the cliff, Charlotte behind him. Clarke and Finn had just rushed out of the trees on the other side of the clearing.

"Bellamy! You can't fight all of us!" Murphy shouted, anger in his eyes. "Give her up."

"Maybe not, but I can take a few of you with me." Bellamy tactfully replied, clutching his axe.

"Bellamy!" Clarke shouted. "Stop! This has gone too far." Hiding behind my tree, I nodded in agreement.

Clarke took a step closer to Murphy. "Calm down and we'll talk about this."

"You know what…" Murphy said, grabbing her outstretched arm and spinning her so she was pressed against him, his knife at her throat. "I am sick of listening to you talk." He hissed.

That was my cue. Things were out of hand. Clarke's life was at risk. Stepping quietly, I got behind Murphy and pressed my own knife into his back.

"I suggest you let her go." I said.

"Tara Kane. How did I know you wouldn't be far behind." Murphy grinned. One of the guys with Murphy who was out of my sight kicked me viciously in the leg, and I fell, losing hold of my knife.

 _Shit_

I went to stand but was stopped by Murphy pressing the knife harder against Clarke's throat.

"Tsk, tsk. I'd stay on the ground if I were you, darling. I mean, unless you want to see her blood spilled." Murphy said. I stayed on the ground.

"Please! Please don't hurt her!" Charlotte's terrified cry came out from behind Bellamy who was looking from me to Clarke with a very panicked look on his face.

"Don't hurt her?" Murphy smiled. "Well, how about we make a deal. You come with me right now, and I will let them both go.

"Don't do it Charlotte." I shouted, and received a swift kick in the ribs from Murphy.

"MURPHY!" Bellamy shouted. "This is not happening! Let them go."

"I can't let anyone else get hurt." Charlotte cried. "Not after what I did." With that, she turned and flung herself off the cliff before Bellamy could stop her. Even Murphy was shocked, and lowered the knife from Clarkes throat. She rushed forward to the cliff, a distraught cry coming from her lips. Suddenly Finn was by her side, comforting her, as Bellamy rushed forward and decked Murphy so hard he collapsed on the ground. I crawled out of the way.

"Bellamy stop!" I shouted.

"You're killing him!" Clarke cried.

"He deserves to die!" Bellamy shouted, anger filling his words.

"NO!" Shouted Clarke. "We don't decide who lives and dies."

"God help me, if you say the people have a right to decide…." Bellamy began incredulous.

"No. You were right before. But if we're going to survive down here we need rules."

"And who makes these rules, huh? You?" Bellamy spat.

"For now, we make the rules."

"So what? We just take him back and pretend this never happened?" Bellamy asked, gesturing to Murphy.

"No. We banish him." Clarke said, a cold resolve in her voice. Bellamy held her gaze, and nodded, before going to pick up John Murphy by the front of his shirt. He dragged the struggling teen to the edge of the cliff and held him over.

"I ever see your face again, we're going to be back here. Understand?" Bellamy said, glaring at him. He threw Murphy on the ground and then turned to the rest of the campers who had followed Murphy.

"As for the rest of you, you can either come back to camp and follow me, or you can go off with him to die. Your choice."

Slowly, the group turned to follow Bellamy, Clarke and Finn back to camp. I looked at the poor kid on the ground, and even though he didn't deserve it, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a knife. I dropped in on the grass beside him before I turned to follow the others back to camp. I didn't look back.

When we got back to camp, I was greeted by a very excited Monty.

"I think I've figured out how to use the wristbands to contact the ark!" he grinned, nearly jumping with excitement. It was a sight I needed after a long hard day. "Jasper is going to do the honours!" he said.

Inside the drop ship, Jasper held the wires in front of the live wristband. He connected them, and it seemed like it worked for a moment, until the lights flickered and a collective "ouch" was hurt throughout the camp as all the wristbands flickered, sparked, and died. Jasper looked distraught.

"I always mess up everything." He muttered.

"No you don't. " Octavia said. "You're brave, and you take risks. I didn't see anyone else stepping up to do that."

Monty and I exited the dropship to let Octavia comfort Jasper, and went and sat on a rock.

"Well. So much for that plan." Monty muttered.

"Hey. You did your best. I mean, my plan to contact the ark didn't work either."

"What were you working on." Monty asked.

"I've been trying to recreate a transmitter out of the parts from the roof panel, but so far, no luck."

"Seems that we're going to be stuck down here on our own." Monty sighed. I sighed as well and wrapped my arms around my knees gazing up to the sky.

"I don't know. I still believe in miracles." I smiled slightly, and Monty glanced over at me grinning too.

Up in the sky I saw a star falling. "Make a wish." I said.

"What?" Monty asked.

"It's an old myth. My mom told it to me. If you wish on a shooting star, it will come true, only as long as you don't share your wish with anyone until it does. "

"That doesn't make any sense." Monty laughed. "Stars can't grant wishes. They are giant burning balls of gas."

"I suppose it doesn't." I said, voice thick with nostalgia, "But like I said, miracles."

The falling star was getting bigger and bigger. In fact, it looked like it was going to hit earth not far from camp. I grabbed Monty's arm. "I don't think that's a star."


	5. Twilights Last Gleaning

"It looks like a pod!" He said. "And you know what pods have? Radio's."

"Quickly! Let's go get Bellamy and go!" I said, leaping to my feet. Monty was not far behind me, and the two of us raced around the camp until we found him.

"Bellamy! That was a pod!" I said, pointing to the sky that was now only speckled with regular stars. "It could have supplies, weapons, medicine!" I was nearly jumping with excitement.

"Hold on." Bellamy said, his voice already dampening my spirits. "You aren't going anywhere."

"What?! Bellamy, we have to go check it out! What if the grounders get there first. " Monty said, chiming in.

"We'll go at first light. Tara, you're black and blue. Go get some rest. A group will go out and check it out in the morning."

"That'll be too late. Besides. I'm fine. A few bruised ribs never killed anybody." I said. I just about stamped my foot in frustration before realizing how stupid that would look. Bellamy didn't even acknowledge that comment with a reply. He just glared me down, until I huffed and walked away, Monty in tow. Just as I got back to my tent, I overheard Clarke and Finn having the exact same conversation with Bellamy.

Something is up." I said to myself, sitting up in bed. My ribs ached, but I slid on my boots regardless. It was nearly first light…I could try and find the pod by myself. Clearly Bellamy was up to something, and even though we had sort of started getting along, I trusted him about as far as I could throw him.

I was not even 3 steps into the woods when I heard a branch snap behind me. I went to grab for a weapon before realizing I hadn't brought one with me.

"Woah, easy there." Finn's voice said. Clarke was behind him, smiling.

"Going to look for the pod?" She asked me.

"Bellamy said wait till first light, but I think he's up to something. It's not adding up." I confided.

"I know." Clarke nodded. "We just searched the camp. He's not here."

"What could he want with the pod?" I asked, incredulous.

"The radio. He wants the ark to think we're dead. I mean, that's why he was having everyone take off their wristbands." Clarke said.

I could have kicked myself for not seeing it.

"C'mon, we have to hurry. He already has a head start." Finn said, grabbing Clarke's hand. I raised an eyebrow at her, with a questioning look, and she blushed. Clarke Griffin of all people, blushing? Ok. Something had definitely happened between them.

"We should split up." I said.

"I'll go with you." Clarke replied, much to Finn's disappointment. The two of us jogged through the forest with the sun just rising.

"Soo…" I smiled. "You and Finn, huh?"

Clarke blushed and then replied, in typical Clarke fashion. "We should focus on finding the pod right now."

"Sure, sure." I teased. "Right now. But I want to hear all about how this happened when we are back at camp."

Clarke rolled her eyes at the teasing. "What can I say, he said I was passably cute."

"Passably cute? Wow, what a charmer." I laughed. Clarke smiled slightly.

"I think I see it up ahead!"

We stepped through the forest and sighted the oldest pod I had ever seen. The thing looked like it had been built from the ground up about 200 years ago.

"I sure hope it was just food in there…" I muttered, standing back while Clarke pried the door open.

"Oh, my god." Clarke's voice cut through my thoughts.

"Hi…" A voice replied.

"Don't tell me there was someone crazy enough to come down in that thing…" I said, stepping forward to look in. Seated inside in her space suit was none other than Raven Reyes. I had never known her personally, but I had heard stories. The youngest zero G mechanic in over 50 years, especially considering she had a heart murmur, was something that made her name and face memorable.

"I made it?" Raven squinted into the sunlight, climbing out of her pod.

"I can't believe it myself!" I said. "I'm Tara."

"Tara Kane, I've met your dad. He tried to arrest me." Raven replied. Tara nodded, noting the neutral statement for what it was. Being on the council meant hard choices, meaning her dad wasn't always a very popular figure. Seems that since 'losing' his daughter, he might have fallen back into his old ways.

"Is this rain?" Raven twirled, lifting her face up to the sky. "I dreamed it would smell like this."

"Welcome home." Clarke smiled back.

At that moment, Finn burst into the clearing, but stopped dead in his track upon seeing Raven.

"Finn!" She cried, running to him. "I knew you couldn't be dead."

"You're bleeding!" Finn noted, looking her over up and down.

"I don't care."

"How'd you get here?!"

"You know that big scrap hold on K deck?"

"Yes," I said, genuinely impressed. "You built that from scrap?"

"Kind of rebuilt it."

I whistled appreciatively. Clarke was looking at Raven and Finn with a strange look on her face, like she was piecing together parts of a puzzle. When Raven leaned forward and kissed Finn passionately, it became clear immediately what the problem was.

"Oh." I said, looking worriedly at Clarke.

"It's fine. Forget it. Don't say anything." Clarke replied, but her voice was tight. Finn glanced over at Clarke.

"Raven, let me get something for your head." I said, reaching into my bag to pull out some of the antibiotic seaweed paste and a cloth. I sat with her on a log, applying it to her head while Finn and Clarke talked quietly a little ways away.

"So if you're Tara, who's blondie?" Raven asked, curious.

"Clarke?" I filled in the blank for her. Raven jumped up.

"Of course, Clarke Griffin. It's because of her mom that I am here. But that means…" Raven cut off mid sentence and dashed to the pod.

"Oh, no, no, no." She cried, "The radio is gone. It must have come loose during re-entry. I should have strapped it to the A-strut. Stupid!"

"No, it's not your fault." I replied. "Someone got here before us…"

I met Clarke's eyes and we both knew who had taken the radio.

"We have to find him." She confirmed. We took off through the woods back to camp, praying that we weren't too late.

Up in the distance walking leisurely back to camp, I spotted the familiar guard jacket.

"Bellamy," I snarled. "Where is it?"

Bellamy rolled his eyes, seeming very at ease.

"Where's what?" He asked, innocently.

"The radio." Clarke filled in. She and Finn had caught up to me, with Raven still a few steps behind.

"They're getting ready to kill 300 people up there to save oxygen! Working class people. Your people." Her voice cut through the air, and Bellamy scoffed.

"Bellamy. Where's the radio?" I asked again, exasperation and exhaustion colouring my voice.

"Bellamy Blake?" Raven cut in. "They're looking everywhere for you."

"Shut up." Bellamy snarled at her.

"Looking for him?" Clarke asked. "Why?"

"He shot chancellor Jaha." Raven commented, swagger in her step as she stepped closer to Bellamy.

"That's why you needed everyone to think we were dead…" I muttered.

"All this "whatever the hell we want"? You were just saving your own skin." Clarke continued the beratement. Bellamy scoffed and started to walk forward, only to be stopped by Raven stepping in front of him.

"Hey!" She challenged. "Shooter. Where's my radio."

Bellamy paused, glaring at her exasperatedly. "I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"Really." She raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm right here."

Bellamy didn't need more of an invitation. He grabbed her jacket and hefted her into the nearest tree, clenching his fist around her throat. My breath caught in my throat, having been in Raven's position only a few days earlier, but she had something I didn't have. A knife was in her hand faster than I could blink, and she was holding it to Bellamy's face, not intimidated in the slightest.

"Where. Is. My. Radio."

"Ok, Stop it." Finn cut in. Bellamy looked at the three of us, before releasing Raven with a scoff and storming off.

"Jaha deserved to die. You all know that." He shouted.

"Yeah, he's not my favourite either, but he's not dead." Raven shouted back. Bellamy stopped in his tracks, turning slightly.

"He's not dead?" His voice was almost too quiet to hear.

"You're a lousy shot." Raven retorted. I suppressed a small laugh at that revelation, but not well enough to escape the look Bellamy shot me. His gaze quickly went to Clarke who was reminding him that he was not a murderer. Not yet.

"Where is the radio?" she asked softly.

"It's too late." His regret filled voice cut me to my core. "I threw it in the river."

I threw my hands up and ran them through my hair, just to do something to keep my frustration from boiling over into words I would regret.

"Ok." I breathed. "So we go and we get people to help us find it...And hope it isn't damaged beyond repair."

"Slim chance." Clarke said.

Bellamy at least had the decency to look ashamed for about 2 seconds before stepping back onto the defensive. I noticed the shift and spoke up before another argument about who was right to do what started.

"You go on and start searching." I said to the four of them. "I'll go back to camp and get as many people as I can to help." Turning on my heel, I stormed off to the camp, unable to comprehend the idiocy behind the actions of Bellamy Blake. Oh sure, he had given the whole "I did it for my sister" story, which I believed was true, but how could he think that this was his only option. The early was plenty big enough for the 3000 people who lived in the ark. Hell, at one point it had inhabited over 7 billion people. I'm sure there was enough space for him and everyone else involved. I reached the gates and was greeted by a smiling Monty.

"So?" He asked. "What was in the pod?" I sighed and recounted the story. By the time I finished, Monty wasn't smiling anymore.

"Well, if anyone can fix it, Raven can." He said, ever the optimist.

"Yes, but first we need to find it. Help me gather the troops?" I asked, feeling slightly better. He nodded, and 15 minutes later, we had about 20 people headed for the river to scour for the radio. After searching my section thoroughly and going through it again, just to be sure, I climbed out of the river and collapsed down on a log, the toll of the past few days wearing on me. Someone sat down beside me and I was surprised to see Finn's smiling face.

"Doing ok there, Kane?" He asked. I gave him a half hearted smile.

"Just worried 300 people are going to die, is all." I muttered back. "All because we can't find this stupid radio."

"We'll find it." Finn reassured me. "After all, this water doesn't flow too fast, and we have a lot of people out here looking."

"I should have known and left earlier."

"How could you have known?" Finn replied.

"All Bellamy has done since he came down is try and cut us off from the Ark, and right before the pod comes down is when I started to listen to him?" I tell Finn what is plaguing my mind. "All because a few hours earlier we had worked together? I should have known better. I should have left as soon as I saw it."

"Hey, no one can blame you for trying to trust someone." Finn said comfortingly. I sighed. I wouldn't be making that mistake again anytime soon.

"What about you?" I asked him. "What's going to happen with you and Clarke?"

He shifted uncomfortably.

"I never thought I would see Raven again…" he started.

"I know that. So does Clarke. But you need to come clean to Raven. And then you need to choose."

"It's more complicated than that…" Finn started, but was interrupted by a shout signalling that someone had found the radio.

I looked at Finn, sharing a pointed glance at Raven as she dashed over to the soaked radio.

"Can it be fixed?" Clarke asked, wading over.

"Maybe, but it'll take half a day just to dry out the components and see what is broken…" Raven replied.

"Like I said...it's too late." Bellamy said, voice devoid of emotion.

"Do you even care?" I asked him.

"Look, you asked me to help. I helped."

"300 people are going to die today because of you." Finn continued.

"Hold up." Raven's voice cut through the crowd. "We don't have to talk to the ark. We just have to let them know we are here…"

"I take it you have an idea forming?" I asked.

"We can rig up some flares that can be seen from the ark. It will take us the rest of the day to complete…" she started.

"But there is a chance they will see them. A chance we can save them." I said, filled with a renewed hope.

"We can build them with the parts from my pod…" Raven said, climbing out of the river. "C'mon. We need the rocket fuel."

"And the control panel." I said, planning the schematics in my head. Raven met my eye and nodded.

"We can do this. Tara, can you get to camp? We're going to need power to launch these rockets."

"Can do. I've already fixed the wiring so the electricity is hot." I replied. "I'll tie in the batteries to the rockets."

"The rest of you, come with me." Raven said, leading them away. "I'm going to need a lot of hands."

I wandered through the forest, shocked to see Bellamy step into stride beside me. He didn't say anything and neither did I. We walked in uncomfortable silence until I took a deep breath and started to say something when he cut me off.

"I'm sorry." He said. I raised an eyebrow. That was surprising, and certainly not what I was expecting. I sighed.

"I should have known you would go off on your own." I shrugged, not accepting the apology but not dismissing it either. "Are you gonna help me when we get to camp?"

"Help you how? In case you missed it, I'm not exactly an electrician."

"Well, no…" I studied him. "But you are strong and someone has to build the supports for the rockets."

"Manual labour?" He scoffed.

"Hey, every little bit helps…" I replied. "Never mind. I can probably build them myself."

"I never said I wouldn't do it." He interrupted. "But what I can't figure out is why you care so much. It's not your family they're going to be floating."

I stopped dead in my tracks, taken aback by the abruptness of the statement.

"I..I…" I stuttered. "How could I not care?"

"Your dad kills people for a living. I figure you'd be immune to it by now."

"That's hardly fair." I defended. "And just because he has done horrible things on the Ark doesn't mean I want him to continue to."

I was getting angry. I wasn't the one who kicked the stump out from beneath Murphy, or who had destroyed the radio, sentencing 300 people to die. Why was I being held accountable for the actions my father had taken.

"You know what, I can find my way back alone from here. Why don't you go take a walk in the woods. I have no doubt there are some hapless deer you can take your frustration out on instead of me." I huffed.

Bellamy looked at the sky, sighed, and continued walking beside me.

"I'm sorry." He said again. "I'm just worried."

"Well there is no need to be so asinine about it." I replied. "We're going to find a way to save them. You haven't killed anybody yet, so let's focus on the positive, yeah?"

I was rewarded with what appeared to be a small half-smile from Bellamy Blake as we walked through the front gate of our camp.

Immediately we jumped to work and by the time Raven made it back, the dropship was primed and ready to launch our rockets.

"Do you think they will even be able to see it?" Bellamy asked Clarke, who stood beside him.

"I don't know. I hope so." She replied, and then said, almost to herself. "Can you wish on this kind of shooting star?"

I shot her a small smile at the reference. Clearly she had heard the myth too.

"I wouldn't even know what to wish for." Bellamy said, a deep melancholy in his voice. "What about you?"

Clarke didn't answer, but instead cast one last lingering gaze at Finn, who had his arm draped around Raven. Raven, seeing Clarke glancing at them, cast her a warm smile. Clarke smiled back, but I could tell she was hurting.

"What about you, Kane?" He asked. "What would you wish for?"

"I guess I don't know what to wish for either." I replied, watching the rockets streak across the sky.

After the rockets faded from view, I hiked to my tent, collapsing onto the soft bed I had made. All I wanted more than anything in the world was a decent night's sleep. I was trying to drift off when the tent flap was flipped open and Bellamy's voice cut through my ears.

"Octavia?" He shouted. Seeing only me, he asked. "Have you seen her?"

"Not since this morning. She was with Jasper. Why?"

"She's not here. I've searched the entire camp." He said, his voice tight. I groaned internally. It seemed like a good night sleep would have to wait a while longer.


	6. His Sister's Keeper

"Okay, I'll help you look. You check the dropship, and I'll check the tents."

"Thank you." He said, relief evident in his face.

"Don't thank me yet." I replied. I had a bad feeling about this. I finished looking into the tents, and rechecked the ones Bellamy had already barreled into. A panicked feeling was beginning to build in my chest, and when I saw Bellamy approaching again, I shook my head. Octavia wasn't here. Bellamy pressed his lips together in anger and fear.

"Everyone gather round and get a weapon."

"What's going on?" Some people asked, sticking their heads out of their tents.

"My sister has been out there, alone, unarmed for 12 hours. Arm up. We're not coming back without her."

I glanced over at the small group picking through our pile of weapons and was surprised to see Jasper. I walked over to him and gently set my hand on his back.

"You don't have to come. You haven't been out of camp since we got you back." I said softly.

"No, Tara, I need to do this. For Octavia."

"For Octavia." I repeated, nodding as I reached into the pile and selected 3 knives. I slid two into my boots and kept the 3rd in my hand, walking over to stand by Bellamy.

"We need all the people we can get! And a tracker" Clarke chimed in. Bellamy had clearly filled her in on the situation and she was stepping up into her natural role of leader.

"I'll grab Finn." I said, jogging over to his tent, ignoring Clarke's pointed look. Inside, he was getting a haircut of all things.

"Hey Raven, mind if I borrow your boy for a midnight stroll in the woods?" I joked. Raven laughed. Finn didn't. Too soon, I guess.

"Just bring him back in one piece." She smiled.

"I'll do my best."

Coming back to the group of people, Clarke looked Finn over and commented. "Nice hair."

He reached up to touch it, suddenly more self conscious than I had ever seen him. I left them, as clearly they had things to discuss, deciding instead to walk with Jasper and Monty. Jasper was gripping his spear tightly and had a haunted look in his eyes.

"It'll be ok, Jasper. She'll be ok."

"You don't know that. Look at what they did to me." He replied. His voice carried, and Bellamy glanced back at the two of us, frowning.

"Woah, look at that!" Someone in the back shouted, pointing to the sky. Hundred of bright lights streaked across the sky.

"Is it a meteor shower?" A girl called Roma asked.

"No." Clarke cut in. "It's a funeral."

"They didn't get our message." Monty said, looking heart broken.

"This is your fault." Clarke snarled at Bellamy.

"Look, I helped find the radio."

"Yeah, after you trashed it."

I blocked out their arguing, whispering with Monty. "It won't be enough…"

He caught my meaning instantly.

"They are going to float more people. We need to talk to them. To tell them the earth is habitable." He confirmed.

"What are you talking about?" Clarke cut in, overhearing our conversation.

"We need to fix the radio. As soon as possible." I said.

"But how?" Monty asked. "It's not exactly like there is supply store down here."

"Even with the parts I scavenged from the drop ship, it might not be enough." I replied.

"Art supply store." Finn muttered.

"What?" I asked.

"I know a place you can get what you need." He said, sharing a glance with Clarke.

"I do to." She sighed.

"We need Finn to find Octavia." Bellamy's sharp voice left no room for objection. I straightened, a plan forming in my mind.

"Monty, you have to go back. Go with Clarke to the "art supply store" and get whatever Raven will need to fix the damn thing." I said.

"You're not coming?" He asked.

"Too many cooks…" I smiled slightly. "You know the saying. I will help find Octavia."

Monty only paused for half a second before going with Clarke.

"Be careful." He said to me.

"I will be. See you when I get back."

With that the two of them were off, jogging back to camp to help Raven in whatever way they could. I was sure Clarke and Raven would have a lot to talk about… I glanced at Finn and wondered if he had come clean yet.

"Did you tell her?" I asked him. He looked conflicted.

"I tried to, but I didn't have the chance yet."

"Well, for what it's worth, I hope you figure it out without hurting anyone."

Bellamy stepped forward, leading the way.

"Stop distracting my tracker." He said. I barely suppressed the roll of my eyes, reminding myself that he was only upset because his sister was in grave danger, but I couldn't help the sarcastic, _Yes sir_ that rolled off my tongue.

He was about to respond with something equally snarky when Finn called out. "Up there. That's hers."

Grabbing a torch from one of the kids beside me, I leaned in to get a better look. Sure enough, hanging on a tree branch was a piece of her jumpsuit that had torn.

"Rope." Bellamy demanded.

"What are you doing?" Finn asked, concern evident, as he eyed the gully beneath them.

"I need the rope to get back up." Bellamy replied. Holding onto the rope tightly, he lowered himself down the steep bank. At the bottom, he glanced around with the flashlight, and I heard his breath hiss. Grabbing the rope with one hand and holding my torch with the other, I carefully slid down as well.

"What is it?"

"Blood."

Jasper had followed me down the rope and looked at the blood on the ground, his face pale. Finn arrived beside him a moment later.

"It's not dry. She's just been here." I said, kneeling down and touching the stone.

"Over here." Finn called. "Foot prints. And they get deeper. Whoever it was, they're carrying her."

"Then she's alive." I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Just like when they took me…" Jasper whispered, but somehow the sound echoed loudly in the quiet night. Bellamy's face hardened into a scowl.

"Then let's not waste any more time."

We walked through the woods in silence, no one daring the breath too loudly, lest one false sound attract the grounders. We extinguished all electric lights, using only torches to guide us in the darkness. The air hung heavy with a sense of trepidation and the unspoken feeling that we were running out of time. I walked beside Jasper, just a few steps behind Finn and Bellamy. Bellamy focussed on the forest, eyes sharp, looking for any sign of movement. Suddenly, he stopped so abruptly I nearly walked into him.

Biting back my annoyance, I leaned around to see what had caused the hold up, and was greeted by a sight that tore a ragged sound of shock from my mouth.

"I don't speak grounder, but I'm pretty sure that means keep out." Finn breathed, looking at the sight. In front of us, trees were decorated with skeletons and human remains like some kind of sick Christmas parody.

"What the hell, man." A boy at the back said. "I'm out of here."

A few others followed his lead, heading back the way we came, jogging at a much faster pace than they had lead when we were arriving.

"Go back if you want." Bellamy said, addressing the group of delinquents. "My sister, my responsibility."

A few more turned back, until we were a much smaller group. I walked up and stood beside Bellamy, letting out a low whistle at what we were about to embark on. He glanced at me, and then strode forward between the hanging bodies.

"I'd walk into hell to find her." Jasper sighed, working up his nerve.

"I think we just did." I muttered to Finn, who nodded emphatically, but nonetheless, our small group followed forward.

The dangling corpses smiled welcoming us to death.

"Lovely, just lovely." I muttered as one brushed against my jacket and I cringed away. The sun was coming up on the horizon making the grotesque scene even more horrific.

"I've lost the trail." Finn said throwing his hands up. "We're wandering around aimlessly."

"Keep looking." Bellamy replied, hardly looking up.

"This isn't the way to find your sister. We need to backtrack."

"I'm not going back." His tone left no room for debate.

"We're not saying 'go back'" I cut in, "We're saying, find the trail again. It should be easier now that it's light."

"Except we've all walked through the forest now, meaning any trace of where she could have been taken will be wiped away." Bellamy snapped.

"Hey." Roma cut in. "Where's John?"

"He was right behind me…" Jasper breathed. Bellamy sighed.

"Spread out, he couldn't have gotten that far."

Those magic words caused John's body to fall from the trees and land at the feet of our small group, his throat cut open like a crimson smile. I choked on a scream, stumbling backward into Bellamy who caught me in his strong arms.

"They use the trees." Finn said, glancing up.

"We should never have crossed the boundary." Diggs replied, panicked.

"Now can we go back?" Roma said.

Bellamy whipped his head around, still holding me, until I patted his arm to let him know I was ok.

"There!" called Finn, pointing in the distance. "There's one!" I squinted, just making out the form of a tall man in a mask, carrying what appeared to be a large war axe.

"There's another one here." Diggs shouted.

"They're closing in…" I whispered. "They're playing with us." Panic raced through my veins, unlike anything I had ever felt before. This was pure adrenaline. Fight or flight at it's finest.

"We should run." Monroe said, glancing between the oncoming grounders. Nobody needed to be told twice. Turning on my heel I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, tearing through the forest, feeling my heartbeat pound in my ears. I could barely make out the calls of the others, assessing what was going on. This was animalistic terror. It was only when I collided with someone that I registered I had no idea where the others had gotten to.

"Octavia?" came my startled gasp.

"Tara, thank god!" She cried, collapsing into my arms. I grabbed her in a big hug, closing my eyes for only a second, but a second was all it took for her to be yanked from my grasp by a large grounder who had snuck up behind her.

"Octavia!" I shouted as he covered her mouth with his large hand, holding her tightly against him. With his other hand he grabbed me, yanking me forward so I fell flat on the ground. I tried to stand only to have his boot rest against my throat, threatening what would happen if I made any noise.

Nearby I heard Roma scream and then...silence. I could guess what had happened. The grounder tossed Octavia to the ground, leaning forward to tie my hands together and shove a gag into my mouth. I struggled once, briefly, but he leaned forward increasing the pressure of his boot on my throat and I gave in without struggle. Fear was a living thing eating at me as he pulled me forward and hefted Octavia over his shoulder to carry us away to god knows where. I could only pray Bellamy would find us before it was too late.

"Thank you." Octavia said. "You saved our lives."

Based on the position we were now in, I wasn't quite sure if the thanks were premature or not, but I could hardly say anything with the gag in my mouth.

"Listen, I know her." She said, gesturing to me. "And the girl who was killed. If they are here, so is my brother. You have to help him!"

The grounder said nothing, marching stoically onward.

"You don't even understand me, do you?" Octavia half laughed. The grounder didn't so much as smile. Maybe he was deaf. Maybe he just didn't care. He stopped, setting Octavia down and tugged a grate off the top of a pit. He pulled me forward, shoving me into the pit. I groaned as I collapsed on the cold stone floor.

"Why are you helping me?" Octavia asked him. "You found me at the bottom of that ravine...you fixed my knee!" Her bewilderment was cut short as the tall man grabbed a length of chain and wrapped it viciously around her wrists.

"What are you doing?" She sobbed. "Stop it, please! Stop it!"

I fought against my restraints to try and help her but got a kick in the stomach for my efforts, followed by another, and another.

"Stop it!" Screamed Octavia. "STOP IT!" I groaned as the wounds from Murphy were not yet healed.

"Please, don't do this! Please." Octavia begged, pulling at the chain as he fastened it to the wall. He left her sobbing against the wall and me curled in pain on the ground, sealing the grate of the the top again before heading out into the woods.

As soon as I could breathe properly again I reached up with my bound hands and pulled the gag out of my mouth, spitting blood on the floor of the cave. I could feel the dampness of it coating my lip, as I struggled over to Octavia.

"Hey, hey." I said, trying to draw her focus. "It's gonna be ok. We'll get out of here." She tugged against the chains, frantically trying to release herself.

"I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid." She muttered to herself, lost deep in a panic attack. The words resonated hard. They were the same one's Bellamy had told Charlotte to say. Choking back the wave of pain that threatened to overwhelm me as I moved, I pushed myself to my knees, sliding close to Octavia.

"Octavia." I breathed, setting my bound hands on her arm. "Deep breath. I have a plan."

"You...you do?"

"He's going to be coming back." I said, glancing around the cave. "It looks like he lives here. And when he does, you need to be ready."

"Why me?" She asked.

"Because he likes you for some reason." I replied.

"Likes me so much he chained me to a fricken wall." She muttered, rattling her chains.

"He's the only one who has the key." I groaned as I pushed myself to my feet. It hurt to breathe; it hurt to walk. "Which is why you are going to use this."

I bent over to pick up a large rock about the size of a big fist. Agony overtook me as I bent over to pick it up, and I collapsed on the ground beside it.

"Tara, are you ok?" Octavia asked, trying to move closer.

"Peachy." I moaned, as a coughing fit overtook me and I spit up blood. "Just a broken rib I think." I used what was left of my adrenaline to toss the rock over to Octavia who caught it, before I rolled over and lay on my side.

"And least he didn't kick me in the head." I murmured, mostly to keep Octavia from focussing on the small space again.

"I don't understand why he didn't kill us." Octavia continued. "I mean, he helped me, Tara. When I was at the bottom of that ravine, he could have killed me, but instead he helped. Why?"

"I told you," I laughed, and then winced. "He likes you. I think he wants to help you."

"Well, he should never have chained me up underground. Small spaces, you know." She breathed.

I smiled slightly and whispered, "I am not afraid" repeating her earlier mantra.

"Bellamy used to tell me to whisper that, whenever I didn't want to go back under the floor. You say something enough, eventually it becomes true." She replied, and then tilted her head. "Shh… someone is coming."

She didn't have to tell me twice. I pulled the gag up with my bound hands, putting it back in my mouth, before shutting my eyes and pretending to be unconscious. I heard two grunts, and the sounds of rock meeting flesh. Opening my eyes, I saw Octavia scrambling for the key.

"Tara, it worked. We're getting out of here." Relief was evident on her face, and then someone else entered the cave.

"Bellamy?" she whispered, as though she could hardly believe it.

"Octavia!" His voice was filled with relief as he ran forward to help her. It was only once he was beside her that he noticed me, still curled up in the corner.

"Oh my god, Tara?"

"Bell, get the key!" Octavia didn't hesitate, unlocking her restraints. Finn, Jasper, and Monroe walked into the cave, and I struggled to get the gag out of my mouth once more. Jasper was by my side in an instant, untying me and holding me close.

"Oh my god, I thought we lost you." The relief in his voice broke my heart.

"Monroe, watch the entrance." Bellamy ordered. He wrapped his arm around Octavia, pulling her into a big hug.

"It's ok, you're ok." It was the most emotion I had ever seen from the rebel king. He wrapped his arm around her as if afraid to lose her again. I was shocked to see some of that concern spilling over for me as he turned to look at me.

"Are you ok?" He breathed.

"I'll live." I managed a weak smile. Finn helped me to my feet, releasing me only when I had a solid grip on the wall to support myself.

"How did you find us?" I asked.

"Followed him." Bellamy said. He took in my short breaths and the blood staining my face, and glanced at Octavia, noticing the marks on her wrists from the shackles. His face hardened into a familiar mask.

"We should go before he wakes up." Octavia said, tugging at Bellamy's arm.

"He's not going to wake up." came the cold response. Bellamy marched over and grabbed a spear off the wall, positioning himself over the grounder.

"Bellamy stop, he didn't hurt me, let's just go!" Octavia insisted. Finn leaned over the grounder, inspecting him closely.

"He hurt you, he hurt Tara, and now I'm going to hurt him. Finn, move."

"Foghorn…" Finn breathed, looking at the horn draped from the grounder's belt. "Bellamy, he's the one who…" Finn was cut off at the grounder awoke, thrusting a blade up into Finn's stomach. Before I could blink, the grounder had disarmed Bellamy with a quick motion, flipping him onto his back.

"STOP!" Octavia cried out. "THAT'S MY BROTHER!"

This time, the grounder didn't seem inclined to listen to her. The blade inched closer, and I pushed myself off the wall, pleased to find that I could stand on two feet unaided. I stepped forward to do something, anything, when Jasper intervened, smacking the grounder over the back of the head with another rock. I fell to my knees beside Finn.

"Finn?" I asked. His eyes held mine for one small moment before they rolled back into his head.

"We need to get him to Clarke!" I panicked. Bellamy was on his feet already barking orders. Jasper, Monroe, get Tara and O back to camp. I'll carry Finn. Tell Clarke to be ready!"

Not needing to be told twice, we crawled outside the dark cave, Jasper supporting me as we made our way home in much worse shape than we set out in.

"Clarke! We need Clarke!" Jasper shouted as we approached. I slunk off to the side. All I needed was to bind my ribs and then I'd be good as new. Clarke needed her full attention on Finn. I took some of the remaining parachute and stretched it tight and firm around my mid-region. Once it was tied off I felt like a new person. Not 100%, but able to move with much less pain than before. I walked back to the entrance just in time to catch the Blake sibling fight.

"I'm going to stay out of that one." I muttered, turning towards the other entrance of the camp. I wanted to go and get some water and some of the seaweed for Clarke. Who knew if it would help or not, but better safe than sorry. At the very least I could make some tea for myself to speed the healing process. I had barely left camp when someone grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I didn't need a second guess at to who that could have been.

"Don't tell me you're trying to leave camp too." He snarled.

"Just for some seaweed and water." I replied, in a calming voice. "Hey, are you ok?" He looked as though he were considering answering that for a moment, but then gruffly replied. "Storm's coming. Everyone needs to be inside."

I rolled my eyes. "I'll be fine. I banadaged my ribs and the river is literally right there…"

"Tara, no. What we have will have to do."

He started dragging me toward the camp, until I shoved his arm off and indignantly said, "I can walk on my own, Blake. And for the record, I can make my own decisions." His conversation with Octavia must have really set him on edge.

"Like the decision you made to run off and nearly get killed? Those kind of decisions?" He mocked. "If I hadn't found you and Octavia, you would have been tortured and hung up as bait. Did you not see the skeletons? When I told you to run, I meant in the same damn direction as the rest of us." I said nothing, letting his words sink in.

"I saved her. I saved you." He shouted. "Why does nobody seem to understand that? I could have ended it. And now...Now he's going to come after us."

I paused, thinking it over. It was true, I did owe Bellamy now, and as hard as I tried to despise him, I had come to have a begrudging friendship with him ever since he brought me that food in the forest.

"Unless…" Bellamy continued thinking out loud, but then cut himself off abruptly. "Get back to camp, Tara. For your own good." He spun on his heel jogging away.

"As if I'm going to start doing what I'm told now." I smiled slightly, continuing to the river. I gathered seaweed and water, returning to camp just as the storm hit.


	7. Contents Under Pressure

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Raven had built a radio. I was less pleasantly surprised to find out that despite everything looking good and being in working order, the radio was still not working.

"Nothing we can do but keep calling and hope they answer." Monty sighed. "Here, let me help you with that." He grabbed my backpack which was stuffed with the seaweed, some fresh water in canteens, and the few medicinal plants I had been able to recognize on my way back- yarrow, willow bark, red clover, and some echinacea blooms. That had been about the extent of my medical knowledge. Once again, I missed Wells desperately. He had always been the one to excel in botany. Between him and Clarke, I had no doubt the two of them could have scoured the entire forest and built a naturopath pharmacy together.

"How is Finn?" I asked Monty, pulling out some of the willow and starting to grind it into a paste with two stones.

Monty glanced at me, and then back down at the supplies he was unpacking.

"Unless we can get that radio up and running...things aren't looking good."

"He'll be ok. He has to be." I muttered to myself, and then glanced back up. "Clarke is going to need moonshine. For sterilization." I was frantically flipping through my scant knowledge of medicine hoping to remember anything I could do to help. This was not my area of expertise. Not like electricity.

"I have a fresh batch by the still in the chem tent." Monty replied, "But Tara, you can hardly go out there now! The storm is insane!" I smiled slightly at my friends concern.

"I have to. If Finn gets an infection in his blood because we didn't do this sterile, he'll die anyway."

"Well…" Monty still looked unsure. "Be careful. And not like last time I said be careful and you came back here with broken ribs."

I grinned and shoved some of the mashed up willow bark into my mouth. "This will help with that!"

"I can think of several herbs that would help better." Monty replied, a hint of his old carefree self coming through.

"Where is Jasper anyways?" I asked.

"He left with Bellamy about an hour ago, and none of them are back yet." Monty replied, anxiety in his voice.

"What?" I was horror struck. "What kind of idiot…"

"Yeah. I know. Believe me. I told him. But all he said was that Bellamy had a plan."

"Oh I'm sure he does." I quipped sarcastically. "And all Bellamy's plans work out great." If the storm and the grounders didn't kill him, I was going to. Huffing in anger, I turned to go out into the storm.

"I'll be back in 10 minutes, tops!" I smiled to Monty. Then we will get all this stuff to Clarke and let her work her miracles. Stepping out into the storm, icy rain pelted down in torrents, soaking me before I was even 10 feet from the drop ship. Trying to find the chem tent was proving to be a lot more challenging than originally anticipated as gales of wind tore branches from trees, which swooped in, crashing and colliding with everything, forcing me to duck and jump over piles of debris. I got to the chem tent and was thrilled to find two canteens of literal will melt your face off moonshine. Hugging them close I hurried back to the drop ship just in time to overhear Clarke telling Jaha that his son was dead. A mixed feeling overwhelmed me. The radio was operational meaning we had a shot at saving Wells, but that also meant I had a shot of talking to my Dad again. My brief talk with Raven had told me he had reverted to the man he had become after my mom had died a few years before my capture on the ark. We had had a rocky relationship then, but after a few years, he began to heal...at least around me. He was still authoritarian to everyone else on the council. Shoving the curtain aside, I jogged in, signalling Monty to bring the rest of the item's I had gathered in my backpack.

"And my daughter?" My father's voice was distinct even across the static on the bandwidth.

"Yeah, she is here." Clarke replied. "Mom, medical. Now."

"I'm going to talk you through it, step by step, honey." The voice of Abby Griffin cut me off before I had a chance to say anything back to my Dad.

"You need….find…" The speech became garbled and Clarke panicked.

"Raven, it's not working!"

"It's not the radio." Raven replied, equally as stressed.

"It's the storm. It's a literal freakin hurricane outside right now." I cut in, slamming down the two containers of moonshine, and helping Monty empty the now prepped contents of my backpack. Clarke glanced at the meager supplies, but sighed in relief that at least now she had something she could do. She grabbed the moonshine and poured some over her hands.

"Ugh." She gagged at the smell.

"Pretty sure no germ could survive that." Octavia smiled half-heartedly. At that moment the wind picked up slamming a large tree branch into the ship.

"We need to close the doors." Clarke shouted. "Monroe!"

"We still have people out there!" Octavia said frantically. "Jasper and Bellamy…"

"...will find a place to ride it out." Clarke assured her.

"Couple of idiots." I seethed. Who was Bellamy to try and tell me I made bad decisions when he was out in the middle of a hurricane doing god knows what.

"One stitching needle." Raven cut in, holding up a piece of thin metal.

"I'm going to need something to close the wound." Clarke replied, thinking through the procedure.

"There is wire on the second level. I used it for the tents." Octavia said.

"I'll help you look." Monty replied, as the two of them dashed upstairs. I walked over to help Monroe close the heavy door. We almost had it when she squinted out into the distance, and shouted, "They're back!"

"Just in time for me to kill them" I thought to myself. Octavia peeked her head down from the second level to watch her brother storm into the ship. Bellamy glanced at me taking in my torn coat and soaked clothes and then to the medical table that was stacked high with the supplied I had gleaned. His face darkened.

"I thought I told you to come straight back to the ship." He growled.

"I thought I told you I can make my own decisions." I glared right back, but something behind him caught my eye. Between Miller and Jasper was the grounder that had attacked Octavia and I.

"Oh my god." I said. "What have you done."

"We'll discuss this," he gestured to the supplies, "later. Right now, it's time to get some answers."

"You mean revenge?" Octavia cut in. She had climbed down from the second floor and shoved the roll of wire at Clarke.

"I mean intel." He snarled. "Get him upstairs."

Jasper and Miller grabbed the large unconscious man and began to drag him up the ladder.

"Bellamy you can't do this!" Octavia cried.

"She's right." Clarke interjected. "This is not who we are."

He paused only briefly before shoving them aside and ascending the ladder.

"It is now."

Frowning, I followed Bellamy up the the third level of the dropship where they were securing the grounder. Octavia was close behind.

"How could he do this." She whispered to me, horrified. I shook my head, unable to come up with an answer.

"Hey tie him! Tie him! Last thing we need is this bastard escaping because you screwed up!" Bellamy hissed at Miller. I had never seen Bellamy so riled up and angry.

"Oh my god…" I whispered to Octavia, looking at the grounders beat up face.

"Octavia, Tara!" Bellamy's harsh voice snapped through the air. "Get out of here."

"I told you, he was protecting me." Octavia sobbed. "You didn't have to do this."

"Was he protecting Tara too? Hmm?" He turned his venom laced glance on me. I said nothing, so he continued. "I'm doing this for Jasper, for Finn, for Roma, Diggs and John."

"It wasn't him who killed them!" I said, finally able to find my voice. "You really think his people won't find him? Won't kill us for this."

"They're already killing us." Bellamy snarled back.

"Bellamy…" Octavia began but he cut her off.

"NO. We need to know what we're up again. How many there are and why they're killing us. And he's gonna tell us right now." His voice got dangerously soft.

"Bell, please! Don't!" Octavia sobbed. He pulled away.

"Miller, Drew, get her out of here." He turned away to focus on his work as two of his goons stepped forward to grab Octavia.

"Get off me." Octavia snarled as Drew grabbed her arm to drag her to the ladder. Miller glanced at me and gestured to the ladder in a mocking way. I raised an eyebrow and sat pointedly on the ground. Whatever was going to happen, I was going to supervise.

"You know, I don't even think he speaks English." Octavia spit out. "He won't understand you."

Bellamy turned to the grounder, his eyes promising pain.

"Oh, I think he will."

He turned to me and opened his mouth, I'm sure to tell me to get the hell out, but before any words could leave, the entire ship shook.

"Miller! Drew. Go see what that was." He snapped.

"In other words, go make sure we aren't under attack from your stupid actions." I muttered.

"What was that?" He snarled.

"You heard me."

"Why the hell are you up here, Tara?"

"To make sure you don't do anything stupid." I spit back.

"Well." He mocked. "That's a first. You stopping me from doing something stupid. Ever since we got to the ground it has been me saving your ass from one stupid decision after another."

That did it.

"Oh really. How exactly did you save me when you held a gun to my head and kidnapped me and Wells in the middle of the night? Or when you forced me to take off my wristband?"

Bellamy's face grew darker with each word I spoke, but I was nowhere close to done.

"Or you want to talk about stupid decisions? How about when you trashed the radio? Or kicked the stump out from beneath Murphy? How about the time you dragged half the camp out to look for your sister and we all went, but not all of us made it back."

"ENOUGH." He cut me off.

"I might make stupid decisions sometimes, but so do you, so don't act like you are the perfect leader." I spit.

"You want to lead, Tara?" He said, stepping toe to toe with me. "You want to take charge?"

Now that I had said my piece, the pent up adrenaline had left me and I felt strangely exhausted.

"No…" I responded, trying my hardest to hold his angry gaze. I had never seen him so irate.

"Because what I think," he stepped even closer until I was forced to take a step back, "I think you're not used to having to listen to orders and follow them. I think you're angry because for the first time in your life, someone is holding you accountable for your OWN STUPID CHOICES."

A renewed anger filled me, but he wasn't finished.

"Your daddy saved you on the ark, so you didn't get floated. His name got you the spot on the dropship, when hundreds of others were killed for crimes far less than yours. What made you worth saving? Why were the rules broken for you and not Octavia. Why was my mom floated when you got to live an extra year? You think you're special? That maybe there was a reason you were saved? There's only one thing that sets you apart and that is that your last name is Kane. But down here that means nothing...and I see you for what you are."

I raised my hand to slap him, but he caught my wrist in the air, glancing at it as though he were surprised I would even try to do something so stupid.

"Don't try that again." He warned.

Instead, I kicked him in the shin. Hard.

Tired of being bullied and bossed around, I didn't care. I just wanted to get out of this room before the tears could fall from my eyes. I wanted to go and find Monty and Harper, and be around people who didn't make me want to pummel them. But in order to do that I needed Bellamy to let go of my arm.

After the kick landed, he yanked me toward him, probably intending to toss me down the ladder, but I fought my arm free.

"Don't tell me what to do." I warned softly, before descending the ladder, and leaving him to whatever hell he wanted to dig himself into.

I stormed down the stairs, shoving Miller out of the way.

"Watch it." He snapped back. It was only when I found Monty that I finally let all the tension and anger that was drowning me release in the form of strangled cries.

"Tara, are you ok?"

Monty was sitting with Jasper in the corner of the drop ship. Clarke had kicked everyone off the lower level who wasn't assisting her with the procedure, so now it was just a waiting game.

"No." I replied, tears leaking out of my eyes. "I just wanted to help people. And now it turns out I can't even do that right?"

"What do you mean?" Jasper asked gently, clearing space between the two of them so I could sit down. I did and Monty wrapped his arms around me in a soft hug.

"Let's just say Bellamy made me realize how useless I really am."

"You don't mean that." Monty said, voice full of concern. "Tara, you're one of the best of us. Look at what we all got locked up for. Stealing medicinals…" He said gesturing to himself and Jasper," Treason. Murder. Arson. Space-walking. Assault." Monty continued listing off crimes. "Even the people who stole did it for themselves. You are the only one down here who stole for others repeatedly."

I sniffed, wiping at my tear stained eyes.

"Robin Hood." Jasper smiled, wiping away another tear.

"You care about people, Tara, there's nothing wrong with that." Monty continued, holding me close.

"Yeah, Bellamy is just upset because less than 3 hours ago Octavia had quite some words with him." Jasper commented. "He told us about the conversation when we went to bring back the grounder. "

"Still." I huffed. Self-pity wasn't becoming. "It's not like I want to lead. But I'm not good at following either."

"You're not good at following blindly." Monty laughed. "And trust me, with the leaders we have, no one should follow blindly. It's ok to question things."

"Just promise me that if the two of you think something I propose is stupid you'll tell me?" I asked, a slight shake in my voice, but I was already feeling a little better.

"You got it." Monty grinned. And finally, after the few hectic weeks on the ground, I felt safe and I felt secure. I fell asleep with Monty's arms still around me thankfully hearing nothing over the wind and the rain outside.


	8. Day Trip

I awoke feeling warm and safe in Monty's arms and that lasted for about 2 seconds before I remembered what happened yesterday. I groaned as I disentangled myself from Monty and Jasper and climbed downstairs to see Clarke looking better than I had seen her in ages.

"Finn?" I asked.

"He's resting." She smiled weakly. "He's going to be ok."

"You're a miracle worker." I replied, giving her a hug.

"So are you." She replied. "Those supplies you brought in really helped."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah, the yarrow you and Monty prepped really came in handy. Not to mention the seaweed which is now keeping and infection at bay."

"Sorry I couldn't do more."

"You did more than enough. C'mon. The council wants to talk to us." Clarke said, steering me towards the radio, which had now been rigged up with a video screen. Raven had been busy.

"Miller has been telling the parents who lost their kids what happened." Clarke whispered as Miller handed over the radio to us. My heart fractured slightly and I suddenly had a little bit more respect for Miller. That was not an easy job.

We sat in front of the TV screen and I glanced around the edges hoping to see my Dad.

"Tara?" His voice cut in from the side and the screen swiveled showing him sitting beside a blonde lady I didn't recognize.

"Hi Dad." I smiled.

"I'm glad to see you're alive." He did look relieved.

"Can't get rid of me that easily." I replied. "You trained me better than that."

Jaha grabbed the camera back and interrupted.

"Tell me about the Grounder. Can he provide any insight on how to survive winter?" Jaha said. Straight to business then.

"We're doing everything we can to prepare here. We're gathering nuts and berries, curing meats, digging for roots, but the truth is, we'll freeze before we starve." Clarke replied. I frowned, assessing our somewhat pessimistic view. Surely there was some way to get heat. Maybe we should have been building actual cabins rather than short term tents.

"There's good news on that front. According to civil defense plans from before the war, there's an old emergency aid depot not far from the landing site. Here are the coordinates." My Dad replied. It looked like there was an honest to god smile on his face, but I could tell something was wrong. His eyes looked haunted. The deaths of those 300 people had to be weighing on him. I frowned.

"How do we know it is still intact?" Clarke replied.

"It was built to withstand nuclear warfare." He replied. "You and Tara should have no problem finding it."

"In addition to supplies, it could provide shelter for the hundred and for the citizens coming down from the Ark." Jaha cut in.

"Chancellor, I have to object. Project Exodus is under way. The kids should sit tight in their camp until the first dropship launches." The blonde lady beside my dad said. I didn't know what it was but I immediately disliked her. There was something...off...about her.

"Listen lady, I don't know where you get the idea that you have any idea what it's like down here, but if there is a chance there is supplies, we're going to go. Wait and be rescued has never been a strong survival plan." I scolded. I could have sworn I saw something that looked close to pride flicker across his face.

"You kids have been very brave…" the lady started in a condescending manner, and I cut her off, holding up my hand.

"We're going. We have the coordinates, and from space, there isn't much you can do to stop us."

"Besides, even if everything goes perfectly, the 100 would die of exposure before we got there." Jaha interjected.

"Tara, if you want to go get ready, I'd like a moment alone with Clarke." Jaha continued. I paused, glancing at the screen.

"I'll talk to you when we get back." I told my Dad before getting up and exiting the tent to throw together some supplies in a backpack. I slid my trusty two knives into my boots, a few of the medicinal supplies that were left over and a bottle of water. Stepping out of the drop ship I saw Monty and Jasper working on packaging nuts. I grinned when I noticed they were eating half of what they were packing. Hopefully if there was supplies at this old base we wouldn't have to worry about food for a few months.

"What do you think they're going to do with the grounder?" Jasper asked Monty as I walked over.

"I'd rather not think about it."

"Just saying, how long till his buddies come looking for him."

"Cheer up!" Monty grinned. "We'll all be dead from hypothermia by that point."

"Ain't that the truth." I grinned, pulling my jacket tighter around myself. I hoped there were some honest to god winter clothes in the bunker or I was going to have to take up sewing animal skins together to keep warm. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Clarke talking to Bellamy and was less than impressed when he grabbed a pack and followed her toward me. I frowned.

"Oh joy…" I muttered. Monty followed my gaze.

"Going on an adventure."

"You bet." I relaxed a little. "Super top secret. I'd tell you but then I'd have to kill you type secret."

"Seems dangerous." Jasper smiled.

"I hear abandoned bunkers often are. If there are any Zombies, I'll be sure to infect the two of you last."

"How kind of you." Monty grinned, shoving some nuts into his mouth. "Don't starve out there." He added, tossing me a few of the packages. Bellamy came over and shoved about half the container of rations into his bag.

"That's a lot of rations." Clarke commented. "You realize this is only a day trip."

"A lot can happen in a day." was the terse reply. I rolled my eyes, shouldered my pack and lead the way out of camp.

"See you when we get back." I said to them. Monty tossed me one more pack of nuts which I opened, tasting a few.

"I mean it!" He called. "Don't starve!"

Grinning, I kept the pack in my hand to snack from. Clarke had the coordinates and the map and was leading the way through the jungle.

"You know the first drop ship comes down soon." She said.

"Forget it, I'm not going to talk to Jaha."

"You can't avoid him forever." She replied pragmatically.

"I can try."

"The depot is supposed to be around here somewhere." I cut in. "There should be a door…"

"Maybe he'll be lenient." Clarke said, still thinking about the Bellamy Jaha problem.

"Look, I shot the man Clarke. He's not just going to forgive and forget. Let's split up. We'll cover more ground. Stay within shouting distance."

I sighed, wishing I had stayed back at camp. Spending time with Bellamy Blake after our shouting match the other day was the last thing I felt like doing. I pulled out a knife and started cutting away some of the growth that was covering the ruins. I thought I heard something in the distance and turned my head squinting into the underbrush.

"Uh..hey." A gruff voice said behind me. I said nothing and continued hacking away at the vine with a renewed vigor.

"Look..uh…" Bellamy continued, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I was upset and I took it out on you, and that wasn't fair."

Sighing, I leaned back, relaxing on my heels. I met his eyes and was surprised to see something like regret in their depths.

"No, it wasn't fair." I replied. "But for what it's worth, I understand."

"You do?"

"Well…" I started, and then laughed lightly. "I didn't. But I had a chat with Monty and Jasper who told me about the conversation you had with Octavia before."

Bellamy paused.

"Look, I know it can't be easy with worrying about your sister and the news that the Ark is coming down, but we still choose the people we want to be."

"We we want to be and who we need to be are two very different things."

I let the solemn nature of that statement wash over me.

"You know," I started to say, "you threw my name in my face, but that name does carry some weight on the ark."

Bellamy raised his eyebrows looking skeptical.

"What I mean is, I'm talking to my Dad when we get back to camp. I won't let them lock you up. Not after everything you did in helping us survive on the ground."

"I thought all my decisions were stupid." He chuckled. I raised an eyebrow and offered a half smile.

"Not all of them...just most" I let the relaxed tone of my voice and the smile on my face portray the fact that I was joking. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry too."

His eyebrows shot up at that, his look of surprise changing his face completely.

"You are? For what?"

"For kicking you in the shin." I smirked, and was rewarded with an actual laugh from Bellamy.

"You need to work on your kicking skills. It felt like a tickle."

"Oh, is that what it felt like."

A branch snapped and I whipped my head toward it. That was the second time I had heard a noise. Maybe I was just becoming paranoid.

"Bellamy! Tara!" Clarke shouted. "Over here!"

Bellamy offered a hand, pulling me to my feet and the two of us headed off towards Clarke's voice.

"I think I found a door!" Clarke said, excitedly pointing towards a rusted rectangle.

"It's rusted shut." I said, tugging uselessly on the handle.

"Here, out of the way." Bellamy said, resting a hand on my shoulder and steering me aside. He executed a powerful front kick that knocked the door in off its hinges. He met my eyes.

"That's how you kick."

"I'll keep that in mind for next time." I laughed. I felt a lot better. I could get used to this more relaxed, happy Bellamy. He was a far cry from the cruel leader who was willing to do whatever it took to get the job done.

"Do you really think this place hasn't been touched since the war?" Bellamy asked, flicking on a torch and descending into the dark.

"A girl can dream." Clarke gave a breathless laugh.

"C'mon." I said, stepping into the darkness. At the bottom of the stairs a skeleton greeted us, smiling it's twisted grin. Aside from a small jump from Clarke and I, no one uttered a sound of surprise. Living on the ground had desensitized us to death.

"What a horrible place to die." I commented, shining my light around illuminating the leaky ceiling and the spider webs.

"No kidding. Forget living here. This place is filthy." Clarke added to my assessment.

"Damn it." Bellamy cursed, taking in the leaking ceilings and puddles on the ground.

"Anything left down here is ruined."

Clarke found a chest and pried it open to be greeted by the luminescent orange of fleece blankets.

"I found blankets!" She said excitedly.

"Excited about blankets?" Bellamy scoffed, crushing her hope.

"Well…" she replied, "I mean, it's something."

"Well how about a canteen? Or a med-kit? Or a decent freaking tent." Bellamy cursed kicking over a barrel that had been on the ground. Grease spilled out followed by something else. I cracked an emergency glowstick that i had found, flooding the space with a strong orange light. Bellamy was kneeling in the grease, smiling wider than I had ever seen, holding up a couple of assault rifles.

"Oh my god." I said, pulling up a gun. I started to wipe the grease off and checked the magazine. Clarke gazed on in wonder.

"This changes everything!" Bellamy said, jumping to his feet. "No more running from spears! Ready to be a badass?" He handed Clarke a rifle after chambering a round.

"Tara, hang up that sheet."

I did, and then I drew a big X on it, for target practise. I had practised with guns a few times, my Dad being who he was, but I had always prefered knives. They had been my ex-boyfriends weapon of choice. I bitterly thought about Patrick, my ex. I didn't see him on the council when Clarke and I were talking to them. It could be that Murphy lied, but somehow I doubted it. Maybe in the end he had become a criminal just like the rest of us. the On the ark, knives and shock batons were the best weapons of choice, but down here I'd be foolish to not recognize the advantage guns gave us.

"I'm not going to fight you on bringing guns back to camp, but don't expect me to be happy about it." Clarke said, tucking the rifle against her arm. Her stance was off, meaning her aim was too. Bellamy stepped in to correct it.

"No, like this." He pulled the gun tight against her shoulder and then stepped aside.

"Watch and learn." He tucked the rifle tight against his shoulder, lowered his eye to the scope and fired. Or tried to.

"Still waiting." Clarke said, and I laughed. Bellamy tried again and then relaxed with a smile.

"My bullets are duds. Try yours." He gestured to Clarke.

She repeated what she had seen him do and fired. A loud bang filled the small space and a small hole was visible just off to the side of the X.

"Wow." She said breathlessly. "That was amazing. Am I horrible for feeling that?"

Bellamy smiled and shook his head. "Tara, you try."

I pulled up the gun, lining up the shot and was surprised by the harsh recoil of the assault rifle. The bullet went slightly low, but was still near the centre.

"Not bad." Bellamy whistled. Clarke set her gun down, pulling out a pack of nuts to munch on. She offered some to Bellamy who gratefully accepted.

"We need to talk about how we are going to keep guns around camp."

"I'm gonna go topside and practise." I said. Leaving them to discuss the logistics of the problem, I climbed out of the depot. Wandering off to the side I chose a tree in the distance and lined up the shot. I was about to squeeze the trigger when I saw Octavia standing in front of me. She looked a little blurry, and my head was spinning like I had been drinking too much.

"You killed me." She accused. "You killed my mom. You got me locked up!" I dropped the gun and backed away. "Why do you live? Why not my mom? It was your mistake, your fault."

"My fault…" I murmured. Blurry Octavia stormed closer and was joined by another appareation. Tall and blonde with eyes that were reminiscent of the sea. Patrick.

"Tara, Tara, Tara." The apparition scolded. "You should have trusted the system. Trusted me."

"You were stealing too…" I said, trying to get away from his advancing form.

"Yes, for me. Stealing to sell to Nigel. For money. For us. And you went and gave it all away." His eyes flashed red, fury twisting his face. "Do you know how hard I argued for you to be floated? You took everything from me!"

"I was only returning what you took. And then I liked helping people."

"Does it make you feel better to know that I pressed the button criminals out into space for a year? For a year I hoped to see your face, but your Dad loved you too much. Enough to break the rules. Just like his daughter." He scoffed. "You pathetic, privileged, piece of…"

"STOP!" I cried, covering my ears. His voice still cut though.

"82 people floated while you breath their air. 320 more that your Dad voted to kill." His soft voice sliced through me.

"I didn't do it."

"You should have let me keep that money. Then maybe I wouldn't have turned you in."

"Go to hell." I spit. And then Octavia was back.

"I will never have a mother. My brother was demoted for your mistake. You ruined our lives. I hate you!" The screams filled my mind until I heard a voice that sounded distinctly more real than the others.

"Crazy bitch."

Dax. One of the guys from camp. Real. His footsteps receding. That was real. These visions weren't here. Patrick wasn't here. I was. Clarke was. Bellamy was. And Dax? What was he doing here? I shook my head to clear it of the cobwebs that were clouding it from the hallucinogen.

"Kill me. Just kill me." Bellamy's voice filled my head. I pushed myself to my feet and saw the rifle a few meters away. I pushed myself to my feet, grabbed it, and ran to where Bellamy was begging for death.

"Nothing personal." Dax said, as he pulled the trigger on the assault rifle he had taken from Bellamy. The duds clicked.

"Put it down, Dax." I said, holding the gun tightly, still swaying on my feet.

"I didn't want to hurt you Tara." He said, turning toward me. "But Shumway said no witnesses."

"What did you do to Clarke." I hissed. Bellamy was gazing around bewildered. I heard footsteps beside me.

"I'm here Tara." Clarke said, aiming her gun as well, "What is he talking about?"

"Shumway set it up." Bellamy breathed. "He is the one who gave me the gun...told me to kill Jaha."

"Walk away." Dax said. "I'm giving you this one chance."

"Put it down." I repeated myself. Dax shrugged, and I recognized what was about to happen. I pulled the trigger on my gun, horrified to hear the click of dud bullet. I shoved Clarke aside, and dove to the ground and Dax got a shot off.

"No." Bellamy screamed, leaping to his feet and tackling Dax to the ground. But Bellamy was still weak from the hallucinogen, and Dax wrestled him around, grabbing the rifle from the ground and pressing it against his throat.

"No!" I cried, trying to pull Dax off Bellamy. I was rewarded by an elbow to the eye, causing me to collapse on the ground.

"Get the hell off him." Clarke shouted, but Dax dodged her attack as well. I saw Bellamy's hand close around one of the loose bullets.

"Hey!" I shouted at Dax, pointing my gun at him. He looked briefly my way, and that was all the opening Bellamy needed to drive the point of the bullet home in Dax's jugular. He shoved the bleeding body off of him.

"You're ok." Clarke said, walking over to sit by him. I sat beside him on the other side, gingerly touching my face where Dax had hit it. Another day, another bruise.

"No, I'm not." Bellamy said, his voice broken. "If my mother knew what I am...what I've done...she raised me to be good."

"Bellamy." Clarke said softly.

"And all I do is hurt people." He choked out. "I'm a monster."

I couldn't find the right words. After all, I knew exactly what he was feeling, having just had a rather horrible trip myself. Fortunately, Clarke knew exactly what to say.

"If you need forgiveness, I'll give that to you." she said. "But you can't run from it. You have to come back and face it. You may be a total ass half the time, but we need you...I need you."

"Like how you faced your mom?" Bellamy asked. Clarke frowned.

"You're right. I don't want to face her. I don't want to face any of it. But we have to. That's what being a leader is."

"Jaha will kill me when he gets down here."

"He won't." I said. "We'll figure something out."

"Can we figure it out later?" Bellamy asked, sounding thoroughly exhausted. Clarke pushed herself to her feet.

"I'll go get some moe guns for the trip back. Tomorrow we can come with a larger group and get the rest." She headed back into the depot leaving Bellamy and I on the ground.

"And what about you?" Bellamy asked. "Can you forgive me?"

"You're not the only one who needs forgiveness." I took a deep shuddering breath, rehashing what was in my vision.

"Who knew he was so evil." I half laughed, half cried. "I'm sorry. For everything. For what happened with your mom, and with Octavia. You were right."

"No, I wasn't." He breathed. "I was angry. I said what I said because I was worried about you. Hell, Tara, when I turned around when we were looking for O, and you weren't there, I have never been so terrified. I was angry with O for what she said, and angry with you for agreeing with her."

I said nothing.

"But what you told me that first day is still true and I believe it. You really do just want to help people."

"Maybe I should just stop trying. It doesn't seem that I help anyone."

"You help me."

"Well," I laughed. "I guess that's something." I pushed myself to my feet offering him a hand to pull himself up.

"Let's go help Clarke. And I meant what I said before. I'm not going to let Jaha do anything to you."

"There you go again, helping people." Bellamy said taking my hand. "It's like you can't help yourself."

"Well there is always someone who needs saving." I said.

"Now you are just saying cliches."

"Someone's got to." I gave a small smile and was rewarded with one in return.

"Another cliche."

"Let's get some guns. I'm sure it will be a blast."

"Was that a pun?"

I gave a small smile and the two of us went to help Clarke get the guns back to camp.

Once back, I was waved over by Harper.

"Your dad is waiting to talk to you."

"Thanks!" I said, ducking into the tent where the radio had been set up. I took my place in the seat and slipped the headset on, smiling when my Dads face came on the screen.

"I'm glad to see you're still alive, Tara." He smiled softly, looking more broken than I had seen him in a while. Similar to how he looked when Mom died.

"Well, it hasn't been easy." I smiled back. "The depot was a bust for staying there, but we found some rifles and some blankets."

"Good, good." Kane said, looking distracted.

"Dad?" I asked. "Are you ok?"

"I've done something terrible, Tara." He said.

"The culling…" I replied and he nodded.

"Dad, you didn't know. You didn't know the ground was habitable."

"If I had just been more patient, maybe those people would have had a chance. Maybe I wouldn't have had to tear those families apart. I thought I knew what they felt, because I thought you were dead…"

I nodded, solemn.

"But your not. And that means I killed them, but I get my family back. I get you back. How can I go look them in the eye now and tell them it was for the best?"

"If we could see the future I'm sure we would all make different choices." I replied thinking about Bellamy and the radio. "But we have to live with the ones we've made and that means we need to forgive ourselves."

"I don't know if I can do that, Tara. 300 people…"

"Have you talked to grandma?" I asked. She would know what to say. She would know how to help give absolution. My dad shook his head.

"I'm going there after. There is a memorial for the 300 culled."

"Be careful." I said and he laughed lightly.

"Wouldn't you think I deserve it if something happened to me? Shouldn't they have retribution?"

"No!" I cried. I didn't like the train of thought my Dad was having. "We learn from what we've done. We make ourselves better."

My Dad smiled.

"You sound just like your mother."

"Dad, listen to me, we all make mistakes. I need to talk to you about one someone down here made."

"All crimes of the 100 are going to be forgiven." He replied.

"Bellamy Blake is not part of the 100. But he should be given amnesty as well."

"Tara, he shot Jaha." Kane said, snapping back into his normal authoritarian form. "That can't just be forgiven."

"He was a hired gun who did it to protect his family. Something you know a little about…" I said, mentioning the extra year and half I had been given to live in the skybox before being sent to earth. "He's going to give up the name of the man who hired him. That is who should really be prosecuted."

Kan paused, considering it.

"A lot more of us would be dead if it weren't for him." I continued.

"I'll talk to Jaha about a pardon, as long as Bellamy gives up the name."

"He will." I smiled relieved. Harper stuck her head in the tent signalling that someone else needed to talk to someone.

"I love you Dad. Always. No matter what." I said.

"I love you too." He said softly. "Stay safe. Stay smart."

I slipped the headset off and stepped out of the tent surprised to see Clarke and Bellamy waiting in line.

"My dad is talking to Jaha right now." I told him. "As long as you give up the name of the man who hired you, you'll be pardoned."

"Thank you, Tara." He said, pulling me in a hug. I yelped in surprise and he released me just as quickly. "I guess your name still means something down here after all."

"I'm more than my name." I replied. "But, you're welcome."

He ducked into the tent followed by Clarke. I was glad she was going to be there. If anyone knew how to make a decision with her head, it was Clarke.

Looking around the camp I saw Monty and Jasper sitting by a log.

"I feel like crap." Jasper groaned as I slid down between the two of them.

"I'm pretty sure I ate a pine cone." Monty groaned.

"Well, at least you didn't have vivid murder hallucinations." I grinned.

"Oh no, I did." Jasper said, raising his hand. "I saw grounders all over camp. Holding spears and ready to kill me."

"Well, luckily we don't have to worry about the grounders anymore." I said. "And we know to avoid the nuts."

"Except for on special occasions." Jasper grinned.

"Speaking of special occasions…" Monty said, "I've got a special batch of moonshine in the still."

"For what?" I asked, incredulous.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten!"

I looked at him quizzically.

"Unity day!" Monty exclaimed. "The best reason ever to drink and party! And I've made enough for...oh, shall we say….100 people!"

I threw back my head and laughed. A day off was just what I needed.


	9. Unity Day

Unity Day was the first day in a long time that I woke up feeling great! My ribs were healing, and according to Monty, I only had a slight bruise from where Dax had gotten me in the eye.

"It makes you look badass." Jasper commented as the three of us relaxed in the chem tent cooking up some more moonshine.

"You gotta teach me how you do this." I said to Monty. "I mean, electricity makes sense, but chemistry?"

"Chemistry is an art form." Jasper cut in, pulling his goggles over his eyes. "You have to love it as much as it loves you."

"Chemistry loves you?" I raised an eyebrow.

"More than it loves you." He laughed adding some more berries to the bubbling pot. Monty rolled his eyes.

"The only thing he is right about is that it is an art form. The real magic takes place between the water and the berries we add."

"You mean these berries?" I asked, popping a blackberry in my mouth. My heart was hit by a small wave of remembrance for Wells, who had found the first blackberry bush and shared it with me.

"Hey, hey" Jasper said, tugging the bowl away from me. "Stop eating the reagents."

"Sorry." I laughed. "They are just as good in berry form you know."

"Well, they are one of the few sources of sugar that we have down here." Monty said. "Unless you have happened across a corn field."

"Then we could make corn whisky!" Jasper said excitedly.

"Sorry, no corn that I've seen. Though I did see some apple trees. Apple cider?" I suggested.

"Boring." Jasper complained.

"Hey, I like apple cider." I defended.

"So do I." Monty added, "But Jasper has always preferred drinks that pack a punch.

"Hence the moonshine." I gestured to the bubbling still and Monty nodded.

"So your dad is coming down soon." Monty said. "Is he going to be on the first drop ship?"

"Probably not. He's having a hard time coping with the culling. Knowing him he won't be coming down until the last drop ship leaves."

Jasper shared a look with Monty, as if debating telling me something.

"What?" I asked.

"Uh, I talked to my Mom about what's happening on the ark…" Monty began quietly. "Someone on the council told her that there aren't enough drop ships to bring everyone to the ground."

"What?" I said, leaping to my feet. "But that's absurd! That has to be fake!"

"She said council member Diana heard it from Jaha himself." Jasper said. I looked between the two of them.

"I...I need to talk to my Dad. He will know if it's true or not." I said, going to exit the tent. Monty's hand grabbed my arm gently.

"Tara, there hasn't been anyone at the radio all day. They are all preparing for the unity day celebration. If you talk to your dad and it's true, it will cause chaos on the ship if its overheard. If the council knows surely they are looking for a way to get everyone to the ground. It's not worth worrying over."

I took a deep breath. After the culling I knew my Dad wouldn't leave anyone behind in space. He couldn't bear the weight of their deaths. I had to trust they would find a way.

"Let's just hope it's a rumour." I said, letting out the breath and sitting back down. "I only saw council member Diana once when Clarke and I were talking to the council, but I can't say she is my favourite lady."

"No?" Monty asked.

"Well, she did suggest we all just sit and freeze to death while we wait for them to come down."

"Hey guys," Jasper interrupted. "Should I add some of these nuts to the broth?"

"NO!" Both of us exclaimed.

"I'm going to work on my shooting. See you tonight at the celebration!" I said, grabbing one last handful of blackberries before exiting the tent!

"Hands off the reagents!" Jasper's echoing shout followed me as I popped the sweet fruit into my mouth, smiling. I walked to the gate to see Harper standing on guard duty.

"Hey Harper." I said and she smiled in response. "Excited for the unity day party tonight?"

"It will be a nice change of routine." She responded, setting her gun down and leaning against the wall. Peeking out into the forest I noticed a white lily in the trees. That was odd. I asked Harper about it and she said it had been there since this morning.

"Probably someone went for a nature walk and set it there on their way back." She laughed and I smiled easily in response. It had been a week since any of us had seen a grounder, excluding the one that Bellamy had tortured who had miraculously escaped during the drug induced frenzy the camp was in. I had a sneaking suspicion about who had aided and abetted, but I wasn't judging. Keeping him here was just asking for trouble. And who knows how much further Bellamy might have gone to get 'intel'.

"I can take over guard duty for a while, if you want to get some rest." I said.

"Really?" Harper asked. "Thanks! I could use it." She handed over her rifle and headed off to her tent. I sat down on the ground with the gun, disassembling it, cleaning it, and then piecing it back together.

"You're pretty good at that." Bellamy's voice cut in.

"Yeah well, I always wanted to be a guard."

"Really?" Bellamy asked, raising an eyebrow and I shrugged, pushing myself to my feet and reinserting the clip of bullets.

"Yep, but on the ark if you have an aptitude for electronics, you're going into electronics. You know, things are always breaking up there." I said.

"So if you were training to be a electrician, who taught you have to clean a gun?" Bellamy asked, standing guard next to me at the wall. I paused before answering.

"Patrick." I said. "Knives were always his favourite, but guns were a close second."

"I'm sorry he turned you in." Bellamy said and I shrugged again, turning away.

"Yeah well, I guess I should have seen it coming." I stated flatly. "I guess he'll be on the ground soon."

"Well, you could always shoot him." Bellamy said sardonically. I turned and raised an eyebrow, the side of my mouth quirking up.

"Kidding." Bellamy said, and then tilted his head to the side."Still though..."

I shoved him good naturedly.

"Don't go giving me any ideas." I grinned. "Now get out of here and let me do my job."

He walked off to check on the rest of the guards and to set up security for this evening. I did wonder what had become of Patrick. Maybe somehow he had gotten kicked off the council. I can't imagine him getting along too well with my Dad after he found out Patrick was the reason I got caught. Surely it would have come to light. Everything eventually came out on the ark. Secrets don't do well in tight spaces. I would have to ask my Dad the next time we talked. Up in space I could imagine them preparing for the ceremony that I had once taken part in as a little girl, and the small tree which my grandma watched over day and night. My thoughts turned again to the problem of not enough drop ships and I wondered how many people would get stuck in space. Maybe with the majority gone they could find a way to fix the oxygen generator and think up another way to get down. Hell, if Raven could build a pod from scrap, surely Sinclair and his team of engineers could come up with something to get them down. I put the problem from my mind, turning back to the forest. My blood ran cold when I looked at the tree where the lily had been. It was gone.

That evening I helped Monty and Jasper get the moonshine out of the still and into jugs, bottles and cups. Outside the chancellor's message was playing over the radio. I ducked out to catch the last piece of it.

"My friends, this is a historic Unity Day. Every year, we mark the moment our ancestors of the twelve stations joined to form the Ark, but this is the last time we do so while aboard her. Next year, on the ground." Jaha's voice filled the damp air of the camp.

"Right, after we did all the work." Miller said loudly.

"Someone shut him up." Drew said from beside Miller.

"You shut up." Raven told them. "No one's forcing you to listen."

Finn stood beside Clarke and I wondered how the three of them were doing. Finn was frowning.

"Don't tell me you don't like unity day?" Clarke commented.

"Unity Day is a lie. The Ark only came together after the thirteenth station was blown out of the sky. Just not the version of history we like to tell each other at parties." Finn said.

"The Unity Day story gives people hope, though, and peace came out of that violence." Clarke replied, ever the voice of reason.

"But did there have to be violence at all?" Finn complained. I had heard about the 13th station from my Dad. There was a reason it was blown out of the sky.

"Sometimes if you can't find compromise it is." I cut in and Finn turned to look at me exasperated.

"Not you too." He said.

"What?" I shrugged. "Obviously if we can do something without fighting, we should, but what if the other guys don't want to negotiate? What if all they want is to kill us? Should we die silently? Not fight?"

"That's not the point." Finn said, getting annoyed. "We haven't even tried to negotiate. What if there could be peace?"

I shared a look with Clarke.

"If there was a way to safely negotiate, I would try." She assured Finn.

"WOOO, Yeah!" Jaspers shout filled the air. "I call this batch Unity juice! Who's thirsty?"

"Hey!" Monty said, crawling out of the tent. "Save me some." Cheers filled the air as we all raised our cups hoping to get a taste of whatever the two of them had brewed up.

"To our sons and daughters on the ground, we will see you soon. The first exodus ship departs in 60 hours." The radio cut out and the screen blinked off, signalling the end of the speech, meaning it was time to get into the festivities! I slung the gun I had borrowed from Harper on my back and happily accepted a bottle from Jasper.

"Try it!" Jasper encouraged. I looked at him with apprehension, before taking a large gulp. I coughed as the liquor burned my throat and brought tears to my eyes.

"That is…" I coughed trying to blink away the tears, "That's some strong stuff."

"The whole bottle is yours! I want to see it empty by the end of the evening." Jasper said, tugging his goggles over his eyes. I gulped looking at the full bottle and then laughed, knowing full well that that was never going to happen.

"Tara, come on. We need one more." Clarke called me over. "It's flip cup. You're on my team."

"It's the two of you vs me and Fox." Sterling said. "Serfs vs Royalty. Let's show them what we can do."

I glanced at Clarke and quirked my mouth up in a smile as she grabbed the bottle Jasper had given me and started filling our cups.

"How about we make it a bit more challenging?" I taunted. "After all, if you want to win, you want to WIN!"

Sterling looked on in amusement.

"Flip cup and balance." I said, demonstrating. "Place the metal on your forehead, slide it into the drink, no hands! Drink, then flip cup. That's the race."

"Well, what you do you know. You two can actually party." Fox laughed, filling her cups.

Clarke and I won the game and I was feeling well and truly tipsy.

"Clarke." Finn hissed, pulling her aside. Frowning, I walked over to join them.

"I set up a meeting with the grounders." Finn said, holding onto Clarke, looking between her and me. "We have to go talk to them. To try and make peace."

"How the hell did you manage that?" I asked, trying to clear my head.

"I met the grounder from the dropship. His name is Lincoln."

"What?" Clarke asked, clearly surprised.

"It's not important right now. What's important is that this is our chance at peace."

"Peace?" I asked. "We can't live in peace with people who have done nothing but kill us and hunt us for fun since they came down."

"Do you have a better idea?" Finn asked, annoyance slipping into his voice.

"Yes." Clarke interjected. "With the guns. That the guard is bringing down."

"You really want a war? Because at this rate, that's what's coming. Look. I know it's a long shot, but this is our world now, and I think we can do better than the first time around. I trust him." Finn tried again. I shook my head still unconvinced.

"You trust the guy who stabbed you? Who kidnapped me? Broke my ribs? Hurt Octavia?" I asked.

"Octavia is the one who lead me there." Finn said, turning on me, and my eyes widened at that tidbit. "She's been seeing him." Finn added. "Tara, you can't tell Bellamy that."

"Why would I. I like Octavia. I have no desire to have her hate me." I shrugged. "But if she is in danger…"

"She's not!" Finn exclaimed. "That's what I'm saying. We have to trust Lincoln."

"Well, I don't." Clarke said. "We should go, but not without backup. Not without guns."

"No, no guns." Finn shook his head. "Those were the terms. If we're going to do this, we should do it right."

"Okay. Okay. I- I'll get my pack and meet you at the gate." Clarke said. "C'mon Tara." I followed Clarke grabbing a cup of water and throwing it in my face to help sober myself up. It seemed to help so I did it again.

"Drink too much?" Bellamy's voice cut it. I spit water out of my mouth, wiping my face dry on my sleeve feeling much better.

"Oh you know, probably better to be alert when walking to your probable horrible murder." I said.

"What?" Bellamy asked, looking a mix of confused and angry. "What are you going to do?"

"Hey." Clarke said, coming back from the drop ship with our packs. "Good, I need to talk to you." She told Bellamy.

"Having fun yet, Princess?" He smiled, momentarily forgetting me.

"I'm serious." She said.

"You always are. So talk."

"Finn set up a meeting with the grounders. We're leaving to go talk to them." Clarke said. I could see the moment click in Bellamy's eyes as he took my previous statement into account.

"Because you think that impaling people on spears is code for "let's be friends"? Have you lost your damn mind?" Anger blazed in his eyes. The residual alcohol was giving me liquid courage and I shrugged in a relaxed manner, holding my hands up in a why the hell not gesture.

"I think it might be worth a shot." Clarke said. "I mean, we do have to live with these people."

Bellamy rolled his eyes in an exasperated manner, as though he were dealing with children.

"You do realize that they'll likely kill you and string you up as a warning." He said, laying out the facts.

"That's why I need you to follow us as backup. And Bellamy," she paused. "Bring guns."

I mimed a finger gun at him, grabbing my pack to follow Clarke.

"Don't let Finn see you." I added. "He's being a real stickler about 'doing this by the book'." I shrugged.

"You're drunk." Bellamy observed and I shrugged again.

"Blame Jasper. He's the one who said to finish the bottle. The walk will sober me up." I saw another cup of water and grabbed it. "And so will the water." I dumped the cup over my head, gasping as my senses kicked into overdrive. Bellamy looked on like he didn't know whether he ought to laugh or throttle me.

"Don't do anything stupid."

"Aye aye captain." I said, saluting him and walking over to Clarke and Finn to begin our forest trek. I checked my pack and said a thank you to Clarke who had packed willow bark and water. I chewed on the willow and drank the water as the three of us walked in silence until Clarke sighed and broke it.

"I'd love it if you were right about this, but did you ever consider it might be a trap?" She said. As much as I admired Finn for his faith in peace, I had to admit I agreed with Clarke.

"Yep, but since it's unity day I decided to have hope instead."

"I hope that we all die fast rather than long and drawn out." I muttered.

"It'll work out Tara, don't worry- ahh!" He winced as he stepped a little to quickly and tugged at the stitching on his stab wound.

"You're putting an awful lot of faith in a guy who stabbed you." Clarke commented.

"You know, you're starting to sound more and more like Bellamy." Finn bit back. I rolled my eyes.

"She does have a point. The guy did literally stab you. And he would have let you die if Octavia hadn't risked her own life to get the truth." I added.

"You know, having a little more faith wouldn't kill the two of you." Finn muttered. I shared a look with Clarke that seemed to say having a little more faith might be exactly what would kill us.

"We're here." Finn said as a bridge came into view. Octavia stepped out of the trees followed by the grounder, who's name I guess was Lincoln.

"I take it you're how he escaped." Clarke said eyeing Octavia.

"I trust him Clarke." Octavia said.

"Seems there is a lot of trust going around." Clarke replied as Octavia hugged Lincoln. I regarded him warily, remembering the press of his boot on my throat.

"Look, horses!" Clarke said pointing towards the oncoming grounders. I regarded the approaching warriors.

"Oh surprise!" I said sarcastically. "They have weapons."

"I was told they wouldn't." Lincoln said.

"Well, it's too late now." Clarke said. "Finn, Tara?" We began to walk forward when Lincoln pulled Finn back.

"She can only go with her second." Lincoln explained.

"So I'll go, and Tara can stay here." Finn tried.

"No." Clarke said, holding up a hand. "Tara is my second. I'm sorry Finn but you're injured and right now you're not exactly impartial in brokering a treaty."

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked defensively. Clarke didn't reply, but instead gestured for me to follow her onto the bridge. Standing in the middle was the grounder leader. She wore a crown of bones, though it could have easily been a helmet. Her face was smeared with charcoal, covering her face in darkness. I stood a few paces behind Clarke, respectfully, and the grounder's second did the same.

"You are Clarke." The woman said. And Clarke nodded, holding out her hand to shake. The lady looked at it and then back to Clarke. Clarke folded her hand in.

"I'm Anya."

"We got off to a rough start, but that doesn't mean we can't find a way to live together in peace." Clarke said.

Anya smiled knowingly. "I understand. I understand that you started a war you don't know how to finish."

"What? No. We didn't start anything!" Clarke said. "You attacked us for no reason."

"No reason? Your flares burned a village to the ground! You're invaders. Your ship landed in our territory!"

"We didn't know anyone was here." Clarke defended. "As far as we knew, the ground was uninhabited."

"You knew we were here when you sent and armed raiding party to capture and torture one of our own." Anya countered.

"I see your point." Clarke conceded. "That's why we need to find a way to work together and end this."

"Lincoln says more of your people are coming down. Warriors." Anya said thinking. "Can you guarantee that they will honour the decision we reach here today?"

I stepped forward. "I can promise that we will do everything in our power to convince them that these terms are what is best for both of us."

Anya scoffed. "Why would I agree to terms your people could break the minute they come onto the ground."

"The terms won't be broken." I promised. "Once our leaders come down we can set up another meeting to broker a new, more beneficial treaty for both parties. At that point we will both know better what the other can offer. This is a good thing."

"Not to mention, if you fire upon them, the technology that we have could wipe you out." Clarke added.

"They won't be the first to try and fail." Anya replied. I turned my head slightly when I heard an echoing voice.

"Clarke, Tara, RUN!"

Bullets sprayed across the bridge, followed by arrows. I tugged Clarke back and the two of us sprinted off the bridge, staying low. The assault of arrows continued as we ran.

"Ugh.." Lincoln groaned as an arrow pierced him.

"Oh my god! You've been hit!" Octavia stopped mid run and turned back to him.

"Go, go!" He locked eyes with me. "Get her out of here!"

I grabbed her arm and we ran until we were back at camp, both gasping for breath. Raven, Jasper, Clarke, Finn and Bellamy were also sucking lungfuls of air. Finn threw a poisonous glance at Bellamy, but Bellamy was having none of it.

"You got something to say?" He challenged.

"Yeah," Finn started, anger accenting his words. "I told you NO GUNS!"

"I told you we couldn't trust the grounders." Clarke snapped. "I was right."

"Why didn't you tell ME what you were up to?" Raven asked, exasperated.

"I tried," Finn spat, "But you were too busy making bullets for your damn guns."

"You're lucky she brought those!" Bellamy shouted.

"They were there to kill us, Finn." I shouted. "We barely made it out."

"You don't know that. Jasper fired the first shot." Finn shouted back.

"You ruined everything." Octavia said to Jasper who looked at her with anger and heartbreak.

"I saved you! You're welcome." He shouted after her retreating form, before storming off himself.

"Well, if we weren't at war already, we sure as hell are now." Finn concluded.

"They came there with weapons, Finn." I chided. "They broke their own rules before the deal even began. How could we have trusted anything they said. Jasper may have fired the first shot, but they did not come there with peace in mind."

Finn grabbed me by the shoulders shaking me slightly. "YOU DON'T KNOW THAT."

"We don't know anything! Maybe they did want peace. Maybe they came with the intent to kill us." I hissed back. "But Clarke and I nearly died today because you put your faith in people who have done nothing but murder us and torture us since we landed."

"You didn't have to trust the grounders." Finn said. "You just had to trust me." I rolled my eyes and walked away, when a bright light in the sky caught my attention.

"The exodus ship?" Bellamy exclaimed. "It's early!" I rushed back to see the bright light hurling to earth.

"Your mom going to be here sooner than expected!" I said to Clarke. Clarke stared at the sky, worry painted on her face.

"No parachutes. It's going too fast. It's-" She stopped as the ship crashed into the ground creating a mushroom cloud explosion only a few miles away.

"It's gone." She said softly. "She's...she's gone."


	10. I am Become Death

I stood in the ruins staring at a charred corpse. That could have been Clarke's mom. Or that other dead person over there. Who were all these people. I felt like I should bury them. It didn't seem right to leave them out here amidst the ruins. Clarke wandered around looking shell-shocked and I could only imagine how she felt. I felt guilty knowing that my Dad was not on this ship, but we had not heard anything from the ark since the Unity Day speech, and that wasn't promising either. Surely they would have wanted to know how the exodus ship landed...or didn't land. Fires burned in holes as a few of us scavenged the wreckage looking for anything useful.

"Clarke shouldn't be out here." Finn said, worriedly watching Clarke wander around staring at the bodies.

"Her mom was on the ship. Can you blame her? She's looking for answers." Raven asked. "If you want to help Clarke find the black box, hard-drives, anything that will explain why this ship crashed." She turned back to the scrap she was hauling.

"Stay sharp." Bellamy shouldered his gun. "Grounder retaliation for what happened on the bridge will be coming." Finn looked at him in disgust.

"Can you blame them?"

"No, I blame you."

"Maybe if you didn't bring the guns-"

I rolled my eyes. What a time for this argument to start.

"If he didn't bring the guns, you would be dead." Raven cut him off, her gaze leaving no room for argument. I stepped over broken pieces of machinery and more charred bodies to see how Clarke was doing. She was standing by a leaking container and red liquid was dripping out.

"Clarke!" I grabbed her and pulled her away, just as Raven came running over.

"That's hydrazine! Highly unstable in liquid form. If this meets fire…" She looked at me and I nodded. I knew exactly what would happen. She dipped a small stone in the red fluid and shouted out.

"Fire in the hole!"

Tossing the rock into a smoldering piece of ruin, the hydrazine ignited into a loud explosion.

"We need to clear the area." Raven said and Bellamy nodded.

"We move in formation. No straggling and weapons hot." Bellamy ordered. I spun my gun from my back where I had slung it, holding it tight against my shoulder. I walked beside Clarke looking at her worriedly.

"Hey...Are you going to be ok?" I asked, realizing as soon as it was out of my mouth what a stupid question that was. Of course she wasn't. Her mom had just died.

"I'll have to be." Clarke replied.

"I'm so sorry. You don't deserve this. No one does."

Clarke tried to give me a small smile, but I could see the tears in her eyes. We walked in silence all the way back to the camp, where Jasper was waiting. He came running out, frantic.

"It's Murphy. He came back." He shouted. Bellamy's face darkened and he stormed forward.

"What?" I couldn't believe it. "He's back?"

"Not for long." Bellamy growled.

"Hold it." I put my hand on his chest holding him back. "We need to think this through."

"Tara is right." Clarke said, stepping forward. "He wouldn't have come back without a reason."

"Fine." Bellamy huffed. "We find out what that reason is...and then we kill him." He pushed past me. I jogged on his heels to the drop ship.

"Where is he?" He stormed into the ship. "Everyone but Connor and Derek, OUT!"

I stayed put, as did Clarke and Finn.

"What is he doing here?" Bellamy asked. I stared at Murphy. I barely recognized the guy. He was covered head to toe in dirt and blood, and his eye was swollen shut. Gashes oozed around his wrists, and cuts peppered his swollen face. His hair was matted with blood and his clothes were ragged and torn.

"Oh my god. What happened to you?" I asked. He opened his mouth to answer, but Bellamy held up a hand cutting him off.

"He claims he was with the grounders." Connor said.

"And then we caught him sneaking into camp." Derek added.

"I wasn't sneaking, I was running from the grounders." Murphy breathed out, arms wrapped around himself like he was afraid moving too much would cause pain. It probably would, based on how he was looking.

"Anyone see any grounders?" Bellamy asked looking between Connor and Derek. Both shook their head no. "Well, in that case." He raised his rifle, aiming it at Murphy's head.

"Hey! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Finn cried, shoving the barrel of the gun down.

"Yeah, if you're going to shoot him, do it outside so there is no mess." I said under my breath, but Bellamy still heard, as did Finn.

"You're as bad as he is!" Finn glared at me.

"Are you forgetting what he did to me? He basically broke my ribs. Gave me a black eye. Almost killed Clarke. FORCED CHARLOTTE TO KILL HERSELF! She was a little girl, Finn! She was 12!"

"When they hung him, you said you weren't going to stand there as they became murderers. What are you now?"

"I'm a survivor. We have laws for a reason. Anarchy is not the way to peace."

"And death is?"

"We were clear about what would happen if he came back." Bellamy said, raising the gun again.

"If he was with the grounders, he can help us. He know things that can help!" Finn tried again, stepping in front of the barrel.

"Help us? We hanged him, banished him, and now we are going to kill him. Get the hell out of my way."

"Finn is right." Clarke said. I couldn't believe this. I was no cold blooded killer, but letting John Murphy back into camp did not seem like a good plan. And based on the wounds the grounders had given him, death would be a kindness.

"He's telling the truth." She continued, looking at Murphy's hands. "His fingernails were torn off."

I cringed, imagining the pain.

"You and the grounders should compare notes." Finn told Bellamy. Bellamy ignored him.

"How much did you tell them about us." Bellamy shoved the gun in Murphy's face.

"Everything." Came the broken reply.

"Once he's better, we find out how much he knows. Then he leaves." Clarke nodded to herself.

"And if he refuses?"

"Then we kill him. Tara can you get me some moonshine and bandages?" I nodded, walking away from the gorey scene. I grabbed some moonshine from the chem tent and walked back to the dropship and began soaking bandages. Medicine wasn't my specialty, but being on the ground I had begun to pick up a little bit here and there from Clarke. Murphy sat in the corner where we had left him.

"You really wanted him to kill me, hey." Murphy smirked. I said nothing, wiping the grime from his beat up face.

"Don't you think you deserve it?" I asked.

"Hey, I didn't kill Charlotte."

"No, but you would have. And maybe if you weren't such a dick, everyone here wouldn't have thought you killed Wells in the first place." I pressed the moonshine soaked cloth against his face and he flinched.

"Wells had it coming. If Charlotte didn't kill him, someone else would have." Murphy continued. I pulled the cloth away, throwing in into the bowl of moonshine.

"Do it yourself." I angrilly pushed myself to my feet.

"Truth hurts, darling."

I paused by the dropship door.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry this happened to you." With that, I left him to wipe the grime and dirt from his cuts with the stinging alcohol. I walked to Jasper and Monty's tent and was surprised to see Harper in there.

"...maybe I could come by after your shift? Hear about the bridge again?" She was saying.

"Oh, um...actually, I'm busy later." Jasper replied, glancing away awkwardly.

"Oh. Um. Ok." Harper tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking embarrassed. She glanced up and saw me entering. "Hey Tara, I was just leaving." I nodded, feeling sorry for her.

"That wasn't very nice." I told Jasper. "She clearly likes you."

"What? Harper?" Jasper asked. "She's a low-hanging fruit."

I raised an eyebrow at Monty who was lounging on a bed.

"He's holding out for Octavia." Monty shrugged.

"That's never going to happen." I sat in a chair between the beds. Jasper looked between the two of us, his face hardening.

"I got to go. Guard duty." He scowled, standing up.

"What?" Monty laughed. "Just saying, man. She likes her grounders breathing."

"Go float yourself Monty."

"No need to get upset." I assured Jasper. "We're just joking."

"You know, that's twice I saved you from grounders, Tara. Some gratitude wouldn't be amiss."

I raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" My voice was filled with unspoken warning.

"We were just telling you the truth." Monty insisted, leaning forward.

"Oh really. Well here is a truth for you. Maybe you're just upset that I'm not like you anymore."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means you're jealous. People think I'm cool and that upsets you." Jasper raised his head high.

"Um, I always thought you were cool. Why are you concerned with what everyone down here thinks? Everyone has always liked you." I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

"Well, no offence Tara, but you're not exactly the epitome of cool. You were a pariah before you became friends with us."

I blinked, sitting back in surprise.

"Woah, that was harsh Jasper." Monty chided. "And for the record, no one had to die for me to think you were cool."

Jasper let a harsh breath out through his nose.

"You know what? This is my tent, okay? Bellamy gave it to me, and if you have a problem with that, maybe you should find somewhere else to sleep."

"Maybe I will." Monty replied.

"Then do it." Jasper exited without another word leaving us both shell shocked.

"What just happened?" I asked. I knew I wasn't the coolest person in camp, but I was certainly on the path to being well respected. People may not think I was an awesome gun slinger, but everyone knew they could count on me when it mattered. If anything I was just annoyed at Jasper. His cruel words hadn't hurt me, but they had clearly hurt Monty.

"I think he just kicked me out." Monty said softly. "16 years of friendship ended because I told him the truth."

I laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "He's just being an ass. I've seen it all the time when people first join the guard on the ark. They think they're tough shit, but trust me, he's going to come around and realize he made a mistake."

Monty shook his head, not quite believing me. "Can I stay in your tent for a while?" He asked.

"Sure." I smiled, "But we're going to steal this bed. If you're not staying here, why the hell does Jasper need two? Hmm?"

"Is that wise?" Monty asked. "Bellamy did give him the tent."

"Yeah, he gave him the tent. Not the beds." I smiled mischievously. "C'mon, help me lift it." The two of us carried the cot from Jasper's tent to my smaller one which was by the side of camp. I shoved my cot to the side to make room for the new one, leaving only a thin strip of earth between the two.

"I hope you don't snore." I laughed, wiping the sweat from my brow. Sweat? It wasn't that hot out. And the cot wasn't that heavy. Suddenly I felt very feverish.

"Tara?" Monty looked at me concerned. "You're nose is bleeding."

"I...I must have knocked it?" The room was spinning. Suddenly, the tent flap flipped in and Bellamy stepped into the tent.

"Shit." He said, seeing my face. "You touched Murphy."

"I...I..What?" I asked. I felt my knees going weak and my vision darkened at the edges. My knees gave way, but before I could hit the ground, Bellamy caught me, half carrying me half dragging me out of the tent away from Monty.

"She's sick. You have to stay away." He shouted back at Monty. "Clarke! Clarke, it's Tara."

"She needs to get into quarantine with the rest of us." Clarke commanded. I felt my feet leave the ground and Bellamy picked me up fully, so I wouldn't have to walk.

"What's happening?" I choked out. Tears of blood ran from my eyes. My lungs felt heavy and Bellamy was going in and out of focus.

"Murphy had a disease when he was brought in." Bellamy explained. "You touched him, so now you're sick too."

"You need to let me go. Get out of here. You'll get sick too." He set me gently in a hammock.

"I haven't made skin contact, so I haven't been exposed yet."

"She's right." Clarke said. "It's risky to even be in here. I don't want to have to quarantine you too. Then we really will be left exposed."

"Who else has touched Murphy?" I asked. Clarke thought back to all she had been told, her blood running cold.

"Octavia."

I felt rather than saw Bellamy's nervous look.

"We need to get her in here. If we want to stop the spread, containing those who touched Murphy is the first step."

Bellamy nodded, but I could tell he was far from pleased. I shut my eyes falling into a fevered sleep. In my dreams a tortured and bloodied John Murphy chased me around with a noose. He grabbed my throat, crushing it until I couldn't breath, and placed the rope over my head, where it hung like a parody of a necklace. I struggled for breath.

"She's choking!" I heard Octavia's voice cut through my fevered state.

"Quick, get her on her side." Clarke instructed, pulling me from the hammock. The cold floor of the drop ship was wonderfully refreshing. I coughed up blood onto the floor, collapsing onto my back.

"Tara, you need to stay on your side." Clarke said, tugging me over again. I opened my eyes and noticed Clarke was looking sick as well, but she didn't seem to be as badly affected as I was. I nodded, pressing my forehead against the cool metal. Clarke looked at me with worry and then tugged Octavia aside.

"I need you to sneak out to see Lincoln. If there is an antidote, he will know it." Clarke coughed blood into a handkerchief. Octavia nodded and snuck out of the dropship. I closed my eyes falling back into the fever dreams that didn't want to give me an ounce of quarter. Murphy was there, Patrick was there. Both were torturing me, taunting me. My skin felt like it was on fire. My muscles ached and my bones groaned. It was only when I was exhausted past the point of consciousness that finally the dreams left me.

I awoke to someone pressing a cup of water to my mouth. I opened my eyes and jerked back in surprise when I saw it was Murphy.

"You need to drink, Tara." He offered the cup again. "Clarke's orders." I didn't have the energy to argue as he tipped my head back and helped me drink the water.

"I wanted to say thank you." He started, as he continued to help me take small sips of the water.

"For what?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

"The knife."

"Looks like it didn't help much in the end." I said, starting to feel a little better. Murphy shrugged.

"You're not sick anymore?"

"Fever passes quickly. It's killed a few though. Somehow I thought you'd be one of them."

"What's that supposed to mean." I thrust the water back at him and he raised his hands in a gesture of innocence.

"Just that you were really sick. Didn't know if you were going to pull through." He took the cup away and walked across the dropship whistling a tune as he went about helping those who were deep in the illness. I didn't trust him one bit. I knew he had his reasons for hating me, and based on the Murphy I had met when we were on the ground, he didn't really seem the forgive and forget type. Still...I did believe in second chances. Or even third chances. I sighed, promising myself that I would do my best to prevent Bellamy from killing him. The was a difference between killing grounders and killing one of our own people.

I got to my feet and was surprised to see Clarke laying in the hammock with Finn by her side, clutching her hand. I still didn't know how good things were between him and Raven, but it was clear who Finn was really in love with. My heart broke for Raven. Building a pod from scrap to come all the way down here, only to see the boy you love in love with someone else? It was truly a nightmare of epic proportions.

"Hey." Clarke's hoarse whisper broke me out of my thoughts. "I'm glad you're on your feet."

"I wish I could say the same about you." I said, placing a hand on her feverish forehead.

"Lincoln said the illness passes quickly. I'll be ok." She started coughing and Murphy was there instantly with a rag and a cup of water.

"Thanks." She gave him a nod.

"If it doesn't kill, why even send it?" I asked.

"Biological warfare. They want to thin the fighting ground."

"Oh my god." I said, all the pieces clicking into place. Over half of us were barely able to stand, let alone fight!

"You guys need to leave camp. Take anyone healthy enough, and just go." Clarke said, closing her eyes.

"If you even think that is a possibility, you don't know me very well." Finn said, clutching her hand tightly.

"I know you."

The moment was personal and intimate, as Finn wiped blood away from her eyes, gazing at her with worry.

"At this rate when the grounders get here there won't be anyone to fight back." Murphy chimed in.

"That's the point." Octavia said from across the room.

"We don't have to stop them…" Finn said, his eyes lighting up with an idea. "We just have to slow them down." He leapt up and ran from the dropship.

"I guess I'll go with him." I told Clarke.

"No, you might still be contagious." She had another coughing fit and Murphy rolled her onto her side. "I'm sorry but you need to stay here." I knew she was right. I was still weak and things had only just stopped spinning, but it still irked me to be idle. I glanced at Murphy.

"Need any help?" I sighed. Murphy poured some water into a container and gave it to me to help keep the sick people hydrated. I soaked a rag in it and gently placed the cloth on Clarke's forehead, before administering to the rest of the sick. I noticed Connor lying on a tarp by the side and went to clean up some of the blood. Hemorrhagic fever was the worst, I decided. So far 4 people had died from it, and over half of the camp was sick. I was just glad to be feeling slightly better. Octavia was also helping the ill, rolling those who started coughing over onto their sides so they wouldn't choke on their own blood.

"What a nightmare." I told her. "You look well though."

"Lincoln says I'm probably immune." She replied while tugging on Sterling's arm to get him to flip over. "Not that it will matter when we all get murdered."

"You're not going to make a run for it with Lincoln?" I asked. She paused, considering it, but didn't answer. Instead, she used a cloth to wipe blood from Sterling's mouth, looking up only when a loud crash from someone entering the dropship shook the room.

"Bell? Oh no." She jumped to her feet. "Clear some space!" I immediately dragged a makeshift mattress over so he could lie down. Blood was staining his mouth.

"Oh no," Octavia repeated. "Help me lay him down." Together the two of us managed to get him on the mattress, his head resting on Octavia's legs. His eyes looked up at her, unfocused.

"Hey big brother." She smiled softly, stroking his hair out of his eyes.

"I'm scared." He fell into another coughing fit, more blood staining his mouth. Not sure what to do, I went and got some fresh water and cloth.

"Just get some rest now, ok?" Octavia said, easing him onto the bed. I carefully wiped the blood away from his face, and placed a cooled cloth on his forehead, hoping to break the fever.

"Tara?" He whispered, though his eyes were still shut.

"Mhmm?" I hummed softly, focussing on my work.

"I'm glad you're not dead."

"If I can beat this fever, you sure as hell can." I told him, gently pushing his hair away from his face again. "And if you're scared, you know the magic words."

"Magic words?"

I nodded, taking his hand in mine and giving it a comforting squeeze. "Screw you, I'm not afraid."

A laugh got caught in his throat and turned into a cough.

"Maybe I just need you to promise that I'm safe."

I smiled softly at the memory of the cave and our different ways of comforting Charlotte.

"Everyone wants to be told they're safe." I repeated what I had told him then. "And I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"Octavia told me the same thing earlier."

"Well, I suppose it's time for you to trust us for a change."

I glanced up and noticed Murphy watching, but he glanced away quickly when I made eye contact. I left Bellamy to get some sleep and went to check on Clarke. She seemed to be recovering well. The walls of the dropship felt smaller than usual with all the illness in the air. Dawn would be coming soon, and I needed to get a gun. If the grounders were coming, I wasn't going to die without a fight. Who knew what Finn's plan was or if it would even work. I stepped outside of the dropship and the fresh air made me feel like a new person. I walked to the tent where Bellamy kept the guns and was surprised to find Monty sitting inside sorting bullets.

"Hey." I said.

"Oh my god." Monty jumped up and wrapped me in a hug. "I'm glad you're alright!"

"It's a quick bug." I smiled. "A horrible one, but a quick one. Have you seen Finn?"

"He's off setting the bomb." Monty replied. "Jasper went along to take the shot."

"What? A bomb?" Of all the ideas I had expected Finn to come up with, a bomb was not one of them.

"Raven made it out of our gunpowder and hydrazine." Monty explained. "We're setting it off on the bridge. Jasper is the eagle eye gunman who gets the privilege of taking the shot!" Sarcasm leaked into Monty's voice and I frowned slightly.

"He's all talk about what a great shooter he is, but under pressure do you really think he can make the shot?" I asked. "You know him better than anyone. And this affects all of us."

Monty paused before sighing deeply. "He did ask me to go with him."

I shouldered a gun and checked the clip. 3 bullets.

"Well, let's go make sure this gets done right." I said, jogging out the of the tent with Monty close behind me.

We made it to the bridge with seconds to spare. We could hear the war drums echoing as we ran. It was not a pleasant feeling to be running towards the sound of an impending army. I was still weak from the fever and the gun was weighing me down, but every second was life or death. Adrenaline gave me the push I needed to keep going. Monty was slightly ahead and he saw Jasper before I did. Jasper was looking at the bridge in anguish.

"I missed it." He turned his heartbroken, panicked face towards us. "Last time was a fluke, I...I panicked and I don't know...I…"

"Hey!" Monty cut him off. "You still made the shot didn't you?"

"Yeah, but Monty, I don't have any bullets."

I slung my gun off my shoulder and shoved it into his hands.

"C'mon Jasper, You can do this." I said.

"You got this." Monty nodded, grabbing his shoulder. Jasper lowered his eyes to the scope and took another shot. Again, it missed. The grounder army on the other side of the bridge began to advance.

"Did you not hear me say you got this?" Monty asked, powerful reassurance in his voice. Jasper gave a shaky nod, took a breath, and fired. The explosion destroyed the bridge, killing the grounders who were on it. I loosed a ragged breath.

"Nice shot." I laughed, clapping him on the back and taking my gun back. At that moment Finn burst from the trees.

"I need help. It's Raven."

The three of us scaled the bank down to where Finn and Raven were hiding. Raven was passed out and her lips were stained red. The fever.

"We have to get her back to camp." I said, grabbing her arm and pulling her to her feet. She was complete deadweight and even though she wasn't a heavy person I knew that carrying her like this would take some time. "We need to build a stretcher."

Quickly we found two long sticks and threaded them through the sleeves of Finn's Jacket and mine. The four of us set her gently onto the taunt fabric and carried her back to camp.

"That's them!" Harper's cry filled the air as the four of us returned, carrying Raven.

Clarke was on her feet and so was Bellamy. Both of them looked more or less recovered.

"C'mon, let's get her into the dropship." Clarke said, helping me lift Raven from the stretcher. We got her settled in a hammock and left her to sleep off the worst of the fever with Finn by her side. I stepped out into the fresh air feeling momentary relief. We were alive...at least for one more day.


	11. The Calm

Morning came quickly, and to my relief, Monty didn't snore. Jasper had invited him to have his old spot back in the tent Bellamy had gifted him, but we had already dragged the cot all the way to mine, so he decided to just stay with me for a while.

"Sure, sure." Jasper winked. "It's just because the cot is there." Monty had shoved him. I was glad that the two of them were back on good terms. I spent the day helping sort food, taking my turn on guard duty, and aiding those who were still recovering from the virus. I checked in on Raven and was pleased to see she was on her feet, looking a lot better.

"Well, thank god you're one of the tough ones." I smiled.

"Not so tough, or I wouldn't have gotten the virus in the first place." She laughed back. Something was different and it took me a short moment to realize that the necklace she always wore, the one Finn had made her, was gone.

"Are you ok?" I asked her, guessing the implication.

"Fully recovered from the virus, so I'm good to go." She nodded.

"That's not what I meant."

She paused briefly, turning to meet my gaze.

"I just want him to be happy." She whispered, but I could hear the hurt in her voice. Before I could say anything else she shook her head as if clearing it of fog. "No. No. We're good. Finn and I are good."

Anyone with working eyes could see how the breakup had hurt her. But Raven was Raven and talking about her feelings didn't come naturally to her. Distractions seemed like a much better plan.

"In that case, Jasper has cooked up a recipe for gunpowder. How's your chemistry?"

"I think I saw him heading to the latrine earlier…" Raven pulled her boots on.

"Yay...sulfur…" I said, clearly unenthused.

"At least we will be able to make more bullets. We're running low."

"That is a plus side." I said as my mind started to formulate plans. "How low on bullets are we exactly?"

"I think Bellamy said we are two to a clip right now."

"Ah." That was bad. Really bad.

"I can turn one bullet into two, but even then, our supply sucks."

I ran a hand through my hair, and sighed deeply.

"I suppose I know what I'm doing for the day then." I replied. "Searching for casings to collect and reuse."

"If only we had a metal detector." Raven replied.

"Heard anything from the ark?" I asked, wondering if my Dad would have any tips on hidden bunkers/ depot's nearby. Raven's smile faded and she glanced at the blank monitor.

"It's been radio silence since Unity Day."

I tried to keep my growing worry under control. Radio silence was never good...and with the crashed exodus ship, it didn't seem like we would be getting help from above anytime soon. I hoped my Dad was ok. It seemed almost a futile wish at this point.

"Hey, He'll be ok." Raven said, but even she could tell that the words were empty reassurance.

"Thanks." I smiled. "Guess I'll get to searching for those shell casings for you. Teamwork is dreamwork!"

"What?" Raven laughed.

"I thought it was a catchy slogan. No?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No."

I shrugged and excited the dropship, heading to the woods. I rad into Clarke who was staring out into the forest from atop a small ledge.

"See any bullet casings from up there?" I asked, climbing up to stand beside her.

"Is that the job you got stuck with?" She asked and I raised my shoulders in indifference.

"It's not that bad. Though the casings aren't the easiest thing to find. Seems like a really one sided game of hide and seek."

"Any grounder activity?" Bellamy's deep voice cut in, and I was surprised to see he had scaled the hill behind us. Clarke frowned.

"Nothing yet. It's been two days. Maybe the bomb on the bridge scared them off for good."

I admired her optimism if nothing else.

"You really believe that?" Bellamy asked, skepticism obvious.

"No. They're coming."

"Jasper thinks he can cook up some more gunpowder if he gets some sulfur, and Raven says she can turn that into landmines. So be careful where you step." He gave a wry grin.

"Oh, he'll make gunpowder alright." I said. "Just don't ask where he got the sulfur from." I shuddered even thinking about it.

"Any word from the Ark?" Clarke asked Bellamy and I felt my heart clench.

"No, nothing. I guess they finally ran out of air."

Bellamy had just voiced my worst thoughts.

"Maybe my mom was lucky, being on the exodus ship. At least it was quick."

I felt the panic and worry growing in my chest.

"Maybe it's just a technical problem on their end." I said, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice. I wasn't ready to accept that my dad was dead, especially when we were on the brink of war. If we survived this and still heard nothing, then I would mourn. Bellamy looked at me with sympathy as did Clarke. Unable to stand it, I turned on my heel and left.

"Can't stand around all day. You know...bullets...and stuff." I managed to get out while climbing down the hill.

"Tara…" Bellamy started, but I continued walking. He looked side to side in exasperation, glancing at Clarke like she would know what to do.

"She just needs time." I overhead Clarke say. "Like I did."

"We don't have time." Bellamy replied.

At that point I was out of earshot. Bellamy had said to stay close to the camp, but I couldn't have cared less. I shouldered my backpack and headed out in the direction of the depot my dad had told us to search. Maybe I could find the casings from our small practise session there. As I walked my thoughts wandered back to memories I had of my Dad. He had never been the same after my mom died. Hell, I hadn't been the same either. I wasn't ready to see how another loss would shape me. My dad was seen on the ark as the harsh, stoic right hand of Chancellor Jaha, but I knew the truth. His motto only became "the law is the law" after my mom's death. I had been 12 at the time. Charlotte's age, I thought back to the small girl who had suffered so much in her short years. Up ahead, the depot came into view, and I approached cautiously, aware that I didn't have a gun and grounders could be anywhere. I climbed down the dark stairs and cracked a glow stick that I had in my backpack. The depot echoes with dripping water and my boots landed in puddles. Tossing the glow stick down into the hallways, I started searching for the few casings Clarke, Bellamy and I had fired off in here. After a searching for 15 minutes and only finding one, I groaned, sliding down to the ground against the damp wall.

"This is pointless." I said out loud, shutting my eyes. Distracting myself with work wasn't working. The memory was waiting to seize me and pull me under the minute I sat down to rest.

My mom, light hair and blue eyes, my eyes. She and my dad were laughing in our small room on the ark. The day she died still weighed heavily on me.

"I'll be back in an hour, honey." She told me, pinning my hair out of my face, making my dad promise to keep me out of trouble. She had been an electrician like me, and was going to fix a hydrometer in farm station.

"You'd think they would be able to replace their own fuses by now." My dad laughed, pulling my mom in for a kiss.

"It's a little more complicated than that." She smiled as she opened the door. "I love you!" She had never left without saying it. Those had been her last words to me and my dad. A solar flare had raised the alarm, but we had had 5 warnings that week. A guard in farm station told my mom to finish the job before returning to residence. But this was no ordinary power surged through the ship. My dad held me in our small room as the lights flickers, surged and broke, spitting sparks throughout.

"Where's mom?" I asked, panic filling my small voice. She should have been here. In here we were safe. Out there, anything could happen. When the power surges stopped, my dad rushed from the room to go find her. He didn't come back for a long, long time, and I remember my grandma coming to look after me and explain what had happened.

"Your mom isn't going to be coming home." She whispered, pulling me close into a tight hug. "Your dad is looking after the guard who told her not to listen to the siren."

"A guard told her?" I asked, my small voice quivering. I felt my grandma nod. That couldn't be right. The guards were there to help us. They knew best. That was what I had always been taught. But as hours passed and I sat waiting for my mom to walk through the door, I began to have my doubts about guards and whether or not I should ever listen to them again. My dad and I took two seperate paths that day. He became the stringent upholder of all rules, no matter how small, and I began to break the rules to help people I thought were being wronged. I didn't want anyone to feel the loss I had suffered. But the ark was the ark, and every now and then families were torn apart for breaking small rules and getting caught. I was 16 when I met Patrick. I had walked in on him hacking units into his account. Naive as I was, I thought I had found a kindred spirit. It had only been a year and a half later that I had learned the truth about how selfish he really was. But no matter how strict my dad had become, he still loved me in his own way and when I was turned in for stealing, he had pulled strings I wasn't even aware could be pulled. And now, he was gone too. I was alone.

Sitting in the depot, silent tears streamed down my face, and I cursed, angrily wiping them away. The light from the glow stick was fading, and I noticed a small box on the ground beside it. Sniffling, I pushed myself to my feet and opened it.

"Holy hell." I exclaimed. The inside was filled to the brim with bullets. Quickly I dumped the contents in my backpack and started to climb the stairs. I was surprised to find that night had fallen while I was caught in my memories. I paused for a moment to let my eyes adjust to the dark and began walking back to camp. After all, I came bearing gifts.

"Myles, what happened?" I heard voices talking in the forest and immediately changed my trajectory.

"Clarke and Finn…" ragged breathing interrupted the statement. "Grounders took them."

"And Tara?" Someone asked.

"No idea. I haven't seen her since this morning." Myles rasped. I heard cursing and picked up my pace. I didn't want to shout in case there were grounders nearby, but I didn't want them to worry about me needlessly.

I stepped into the clearing and immediately 3 rifles were trained on me.

"Woah, it's me!" I raised my hands.

"Tara, thank god!" Octavia stepped forward, pulling me into a hug.

"Where the hell were you?" Bellamy asked, angry as ever.

"This can wait." Raven cut in. "We need to make a stretcher." I glanced at Myles who was lying wounded on the ground.

"My specialty." I said, shucking off my jacket.

"Monty, we are heading back to camp. Do you copy?" Raven said into a walkie. I raised an eyebrow forever impressed at her ingenuity. Walkie talkies. Who'd have guessed. Radio silence followed. "Monty." She tried again.

"Maybe something is jamming the signal?" Octavia suggested. I glanced at them worriedly.

"We get Myles back to camp, and then as soon as it is light we go look for Clarke, Finn and Monty." Raven said. Bellamy scowled, but I knew the minute we got back to camp, he wasn't going to let anyone leave. Myles lay on the stretcher, groaning. He wasn't a big guy. I was more than certain that the three of them could get him back to camp. I knew better than to ask for permission, so as Octavia and Raven pieced together a stretcher, I stepped towards to woods to fade away. Before I could, a strong hand gripped my arm.

"And where do you think you're going?" Bellamy growled. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"You know as well as I do we can't wait for first light." I replied.

"If the grounders have them, they are as good as dead." Bellamy insisted. "I'm not going to let you get yourself killed on a suicide mission."

"You don't know that!" I insisted. "We have to go. It's Monty! And Clarke. And Finn. They're our friends! Our people."

"Look, if I have to drag you back to camp, I will." He warned. His grip on my arm did not loosen.

I scowled at him. "First light. I am going at first light."

"We'll see about that." was his infuriating answer. I grabbed a handle on Octavia's side of the stretcher and we got Myles back to camp, where there was no Clarke to treat him. As soon as he was in the drop ship, I was out the door, grabbing a gun and checking the rounds. As if I was going to wait around for first light. I scoffed, chambering a round and making my way to the gate. Monty was out there. One of my best friends. Hell, one of my only friends here on the ground. But Bellamy was two steps ahead of me, already waiting at the gate. He grabbed the gun away from me and pulled me back towards the tents.

"What part of "No one leaves camp" is confusing for you?" He fumed.

"The part where you are leaving my friends to die." I shouted back. He cocked his head to the side, a gesture I had come to associate with danger.

"If I have to tie you up to keep you out of trouble, don't think for a second I won't do it."

I took a step back, remembering the rope burn on Atom's arms from when we were first on the ground.

"Try it." I challenged.

"Don't test me."

I was so angry. "We're all going to die anyways. Why the hell shouldn't I die trying to rescue people who I care about? Hmm?"

"Are you really that eager for death?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm stopping you from walking out to rescue people who are already gone. The grounders have them. They aren't exactly rolling out the welcome mats."

I was beyond words. I turned on my heel, fully intending to storm off, but the perfect reply came to me at the last minute. I spun to face him.

"If Octavia were out there, you wouldn't hesitate for one second." I hissed. He stepped close to me so there was barely any breathing room.

"That's different. She's family."

I gave an incredulous laugh. "Family." I scoffed. "I have no family left. None except those down here. So maybe you can understand why I don't want to give up on them just yet."

Bellamy blinked, clearly remembering that I had just lost everything. He considered a moment.

"I'm sorry about your dad." He said. The words were so soft I wasn't sure I even heard them. And just like that, all the anger flooded out of me, replaced by intense grief. Tears began to build in my eyes and my breathing became ragged.

"And for what it's worth, I...I'm glad we got you back. We were looking for you too when we were out there."

I nodded, not daring to speak lest the tears begin to fall.

"I'm just doing what is best for the camp." He said.

"That reminds me…" I said, reaching for my backpack. "These should help a little. I found a box in the depot." I revealed the shiny bullets in my backpack.

"Holy shit." Bellamy whistled.

"I'll start packing the clips." I said, my voice lacking it's usual bite.

"They're on the third level of the dropship." Bellamy said, pulling the magazine from the gun he had taken from me. He handed me the clip, but kept the gun. Sighing, I headed to the dropship. I was surprised to see Murphy still in the camp. I suppose I wasn't the only one who believed in second chances. I just hoped that one wouldn't come back to bite us.


	12. We Are Grounders (Part 1)

I saw Myles in the dropship on the bottom floor, lying on a cot and groaning in pain. I prayed to whatever God may be listening that Clarke would find her way back so he didn't have to keep suffering. All we could do is pour the horrible seaweed tea down his throat and keep the wound relatively clean. I noticed Jasper in the corner of the dropship, pacing back and forth.

"Hey." I said softly. "We'll get him back."

"How?" Jasper asked, tears in his eyes. "By the time we get out there, it will be too late."

I nodded, biting my lip. I put a comforting hand on his shoulder and he grabbed me in a hug.

"I can't lose him, Tara." His voice rasped.

"You can talk to Bellamy?" I suggested. "Maybe you will have more luck than I did."

Jasper nodded, wiping his eyes with his jacket sleeve.

"If by some miracle he lets you go, I'll be on the third level. Don't leave without me." I told him, making him promise. I stepped away, climbing the ladder to the third level of the dropship, which had been converted from grounder torture room to chem lab/ bullet facility. I emptied my backpack onto the table and got to work, checking rounds and filling clips. The work was mind numbing, which helped keep me from dwelling on the terrible. A few moments later Jasper opened the hatch and climbed into the room with me.

"Self-serving jackass." He muttered.

"I take it the conversation didn't go well."

"I'm pretty sure we're on house arrest." Jasper replied, walking over to his chemistry setup and working the mortar and pestle. I was sure that that was a great way to work out frustration. "But the gunpowder demand is at an all time high since Raven and I got to building landmines."

"I'll watch my step." I told him. "Can I have some of that powder? I've got some casings to make a few more bullets." He handed me the container and I carefully measured out the ratio. Jasper weighed out his measurements and began carefully mixing the black powder.

"I'll bring this to our glorious leader." Jasper rolled his eyes and opened the hatch.

"Hey, can you bring me up some more clips?" I asked. "I'm almost done with these ones." Jasper nodded and began his descent. I finished my clips and waited a few moments. Hearing nothing, I huffed and went to get the clips myself.

"Jasper, what the hell, I thought you said you were going to bring me more clips?" I chided, opening the door to the lower level. The sound of a rifle cocking made my annoyance die in my throat.

"Tara Kane." Murphy drawled. "Why is it always you?" He gestured for me to descend the ladder with the rifle barrel. Jasper was tied up and gagged in the corner of the ship. My boots hit the dropship floor with a resounding clang, and instantly Murphy was beside me, with the gun against my back.

"Face the wall." He ordered. I turned slowly, looking for anything I could use as a weapon to get out of this situation.

"NOW!" He shouted, shoving my face against the cold metal.

"You don't have to do this." I whispered.

"That's funny." Murphy said. "Because I think I do. Bellamy already knows I have Jasper. But you're the ace up my sleeve."

"We gave you a second chance." I flinched as he wrenched an arm behind my back.

"Clarke's accusations are the reason I was hung in the first place." He snarled. "But since she is likely dead, I guess you'll just have to do."

"I tried to stop it."

Murphy tied my hands behind my back tightly. Once they were tied, he grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.

"You did. But you know what you said when I came back?" He challenged. "Shoot him outside so there is no mess."

I tugged my face out of his hand and tried to headbutt him in the face. He dodged, but the attempt had just made him angry and he hit me viciously across the cheek.

"Let Jasper go." I begged. "Please. He has nothing to do with this."

"I am so sick of hearing your voice." Murphy snarled, grabbing a piece of fabric. He gagged me and threw me in the corner where Jasper was. Jasper looked at me with terrified eyes. I tried to look calm, to reassure him it was all going to be ok, but the truth was, I was scared. If I had learned anything on the ground it was that John Murphy was a psychopath.

"Murphy, I know you can hear me." I heard Bellamy's voice on the walkie talkie. "All our ammo and food is in the middle level. You know that. You're leaving us vulnerable to an attack. I can't let that happen."

Murphy grabbed the walkie and said, "Well, in case you haven't noticed, you're not exactly in control right now."

"C'mon Murphy." Bellamy said. I could hear the slight challenge in his voice. "You don't want to hurt Jasper. You want to hurt me. So what do you say? A trade. Him for me."

I could have kicked him for being so stupid. In the dropship, unarmed, with an angry Murphy was not where you wanted to be. It was obvious that Bellamy didn't know Murphy had me too, and from the glint in Murphy's eye, I guessed he planned to keep it that way.

"How?"

"Simple, You open the door. I walk in, he walks out."

Murphy paced around considering all the ways it could go wrong, but he eventually he nodded.

"Just you, Bellamy. Unarmed." He growled, seizing Jasper by the arm and pulling him to his feet. He led him to the dropship door, which Murphy opened and shoved Jasper out. I let out a strangled cry as Jasper fell, rolling out the door. Bellamy stepped into the dropship. His eyes met mine.

"Oh shit." He whispered, running over to me and pulling the gag out of my mouth.

"You idiot!" I sobbed. "Why did you come in here?"

"He would have killed Jasper." Bellamy responded.

"That's enough." Murphy said, aiming the gun at Bellamy.

"You don't have to hurt her." Bellamy turned to Murphy. Murphy turned his gaze to the sky.

"Why is everyone telling me what I don't have to do, today?" He stepped closer, grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet. "I tell you what. You do exactly what I say, and I won't hurt her. How's that." He gripped my elbow overextending my bound hands behind my back, and I let out of small cry.

"Stop." Bellamy ordered. "What do you want me to do."

Murphy smiled, releasing his grip on my arm.

"Don't go anywhere." He smirked at me, and I scowled back. I deeply wished my hands were free so I could punch him in the throat again. Murphy kept the gun trained on Bellamy as he walked backwards to the work table, where seat belts from the dropship were piled.

"Tara, darling." Murphy said. "Come over here."

I looked at Bellamy, fear in my eyes, and he gave me a slight nod.

"Now, or I'll put one in Bellamy's leg." Murphy snapped. I turned towards him and walked to the table.

"Good girl. Pick one up." He gestured to the seatbelt.

"How?" I snapped. "My hands are tied behind my back you asshat." Murphy aimed the gun at took a shot, the bullet ricocheting around. Bellamy jumped out of the way in time, but a newfound panic was in his eyes.

"Bellamy, Bell, I'm sorry!" I told him. Bellamy locked eyes with me.

"Trust me, Tara, it's not you I blame."

Murphy pushed me to my knees and rested the barrel against my temple. "You do make a valid point, Tara. Bellamy, grab a seat belt."

At that moment, the walkie sounded with Octavia's voice.

"Bell, are you ok?" The panic was evident. Murphy glanced at the walkie and then at Murphy, and Murphy smiled.

"You want her to know you're ok? Grab a seat belt."

Scowling, Bellamy marched over to the table and grabbed a belt. Murphy grinned as he clicked the button and nodded for Bellamy to speak.

"I'm fine. Just a misfire. Now stop worrying about me and get back to work. And tell Raven to hurry her ass up."

"That's enough." Murphy clicked it off. "Now, tie her to the table."

Bellamy frowned, but did as he said, looping the seatbelt around my already bound wrists and securing it to the table leg.

"And tie it tight. You're a strong guy. I want to see her wince."

"Guess you got to tie me up after all." I laughed quietly, panic making me feel on edge.

"It's going to be ok. I'm going to get you out of this." Bellamy whispered.

"Get yourself out too, you hear me?"

"Enough talking." Murphy cut in. "Tie two more seatbelts together."

Bellamy did, working slowly.

"Tie one end to the table."

A cruel smile split Murphy's face.

"And now...tie a noose on the other end."

"What?" Bellamy's voice cracked like a whip.

Murphy raised the gun and pointed it at me.

"Did I stutter?"

"Okay!" Bellamy raised his hands. "Okay. Relax."

"You cannot be serious!" I shouted at Murphy. "You're insane!"

"You think this is insane?" He laughed. "It was insane when he kicked the stump out from underneath me. This...this is reckoning."

"You mean revenge." I spit. Bellamy finished the noose and Murphy made his toss it over the ceiling beam. He forced him to take the bench from the table and stand on it.

"Bellamy, no!" I shouted, struggling against the ropes.

"He'll kill you, Tara. And then he'll kill me anyways." Bellamy replied.

"Put it over your head." Murphy instructed, indicating to the noose. Bellamy pressed his lips together in annoyance, but did as he was told.

"You know, I'm surprised." Murphy said, pacing between the two of us. "You've really got them fooled. You even managed to get Tara here to think you're worth listening to. They almost respect you as much as they respect Clarke...But I know the truth. I knew it the day you kicked that stump out from underneath me. You're a coward."

Bellamy took a breath. "I should have stopped them."

"Yeah, it's a little late for that now." Murphy smirked.

"Do you really think they are just going to let you walk out of here?' Bellamy asked, incredulous.

"Well," Murphy scratched his nose, "the way I see it, the princess is dead, and I know the king is about to die. Not to mention I've got royal member number 3 bound up here as a hostage, so who is going to lead these people? Hmm? Me, that's who."

Bellamy scoffed.

"And yeah, maybe I have to keep her on a leash," he gestured to me with the gun, "and kill your grounder pounder little sister.."

A scream sounded from beneath the floor of the dropship and Murphy gave a sick smile.

"I bet that's her right now." He unloaded three shots into the floor, and then the gun clicked. Empty. Bellamy saw his moment and fought to get the noose off, but Murphy was quicker. He kicked the bench from beneath Bellamy's feet, leaving him to choke.

"Noo!" I cried, fighting against my restraints. Bellamy raised his hands to create space around his throat, but Murphy lunged forward, trying to restrain him.

"Using your hands is a cheat. Mine were bound, remember?" He snarled. Bellamy used the proximity to land a punch in Murphy's face. At that moment, the drop ship doors opened.

"Help! Help!" I shouted. Jasper was the first on, running to Bellamy and holding him up to relieve the pressure on his throat. Octavia was close behind. The seat belt was cut and Bellamy collapsed on the ground, grasping his throat and sucking down air. Jasper came over and cut me free. I was on my feet in an instant, following Murphy who had gone up to the third floor of the dropship. Bellamy was right behind me.

"He's locked the door." I exclaimed, hitting against it with my shoulder.

"Murphy!" Bellamy's hoarse cry shouted. "Murphy, there's only one way out of this for you now!" He shouldered the door until it gave, and we climbed into the room. On the side of the ship there was a huge gaping hole. It didn't take much deduction to guess that he had blown through it with our hard earned gunpowder.

"The guy makes a hell of an exit. Are we going after him?" Jasper asked.

"No. Grounders will take care of Murphy. We're going after Clarke, Finn, and Monty. You and Raven were right. We don't abandon our own. Three guns... you, me and Tara. That's it. Raven stays here to build up defenses. We lost a day because of this, and our gunpowder." Bellamy replied, still glaring at Murphy's retreating form. He turned and walked to the ladder, but Jasper cut him off.

"Bellamy, wait. Look, I..I just…" Jasper wrapped him in a hug. "Thank you." Bellamy awkwardly patted him on the back and I did my best to restrain from giving a small laugh at the awkwardness of it all. Jasper hurried down the ladder leaving me and Bellamy alone on the top floor.

"Thank you." I said. "For going after them...and for...you know...downstairs."

"I wasn't going to let him hurt you." Bellamy replied like it was obvious.

"Yes, but you didn't have to bargain for Jasper to get out, just like you didn't have to protect me."

Bellamy rolled his eyes. "Of course I did. You're my people."

"I'm just trying to express a sincere moment of gratitude." I smirked, reaching for the ladder. He stopped me, gently grabbing my arm.

"I'm glad you're ok." He said softly. I turned my head looking him in the eye.

"I'm glad you are too. You had me worried for a second there."

"It'll take more than Murphy to bring me down."

I smiled. "I sure hope so. I've gotten used to having you around. Even if you are a pain in the ass sometimes." He grinned back.

"Just trying to keep us alive."

"Movement on the east wall!" A call came from below, and just like that, the moment was over, and the two of us were grabbing guns and hustling outside.

"Wait, it's Clarke and Finn!" Miller shouted. "Open the gates!"


	13. We Are Grounders (Part 2)

Clarke and Finn rushed into the camp, looking around at the frazzled group.

"We need to leave. Now." Clarke said, explaining where they had been in frenzied breaths.

"Where's Monty?" Jasper asked, looking around expectantly.

"Monty's missing?" Finn asked, looking rather taken aback.

"WE NEED HELP! OVER HERE!" A voice cried out from under the dropship. Two of the delinquents emerged carrying Raven who was bleeding profusely from her hip.

"Oh my god." I said, dropping my gun and running over. "Raven, what happened?"

"Got shot." She groaned, her face pale.

"Murphy." I said, sharing a look with Bellamy. We both remembered the spray of loose bullets in the dropship.

"Get her into the dropship." Clarke shouted, taking control of the situation. "Now. The rest of you, pack your things. We're leaving tonight."

"We can't just leave without Monty." I said, following Clarke and Bellamy into the dropship.

"If he's not back by tonight, we'll have to." Clarke replied, slowly lifting Raven's shirt and assessing the wound.

"How did Murphy get a gun?" Finn asked, concern written across his face.

"It's a long story." Bellamy bit out.

"We got lucky." Raven groaned. "If he had hit the fuel tank instead of me, we'd all be dead right now."

"There is rocket fuel down there?" Clarke asked.

I looked around the dropship formulating a plan in my mind. There was no way I was going to leave this place without Monty. And he wasn't dead. I was sure of it. If the grounders had killed him, I was almost positive they would have sent it as a message, like they tried to do with Jasper. I remembered how they had made a spectacle of the killings, like with Roma and Diggs. No, I huffed, leaving the ship. If they had got him, I was sure they would have made it known. Especially before an impending battle, as Clarke and Finn seemed to believe was on it's way. Walking outside, I picked up my gun from where I had dropped it and checked the chamber. 4 bullets. It wasn't enough, but it would have to do.

"Where are you going?" Octavia's voice cut through my thought process.

"I have to go search for him. Especially if we are leaving tonight." I replied. "He's not dead."

"He could be being held prisoner, like they did with Murphy." Octavia pointed out.

"Even more reason to go and search." I commented, remembering the horrid state Murphy had been in when he dragged his sorry excuse of a self back into camp. It was hard to feel sorry for the kid when he had tried to hang Bellamy a few moments earlier, not to mention the fact that he had shot Raven. Octavia paused for only a moment before taking the clip out of the gun she was carrying and handing it to me.

"I prefer my sword anyways." She held out the few bullets. "Take them."

I took the bullets out the clip and added them to my own, bringing the total amount up to 7.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. And Tara," she paused, turning to look back once more. "Try not to die." She gave me a small smile, which I returned.

"I'll do my best. See you at the ocean, if all goes well. And can you promise me one thing?"

"Sure."

"Don't tell Bellamy where I've gone. If Clarke is right, you all need to get out of here, sooner rather than later."

"You don't need to tell me that twice. Good luck!"

I was just about at the gate of the camp when I saw Jasper, looking forlorn at his tent. Sighing, I went over to tell him my plan.

"You're crazy." He muttered, and then glanced at his own gun. "But I'm coming with you. We'll catch up with the others when we've found Monty."

I felt dizzy with nerves, but I was glad to finally be doing something to find our friend.

"We'll find him." I said, "We've got to."

The two of us snuck out of the camp through the side gate. It was easier than I had thought as the camp was in chaos as everyone tried to pack and prepare for the pilgrimage ahead. Jasper and I slipped into the trees, careful to avoid the mines which were planted in the forest.

"Where do we start?" Jasper asked.

"I'm no great tracker like Finn," I whispered, just in case there were grounders nearby, "But we should start where we found his walkie."

Our footsteps were muffled by the pine needles on the forest floor as we made our way to the location, scarcely daring to breathe too loudly in case we attract the wrong attention.

"Don't forget to check the trees." Jasper said softly. I nodded in affirmation, glancing briefly skyward. The small moment of deviation was all it took for my foot to trip a hidden trap. A rope snagged my ankle dragging me high into the trees.

"TARA!" Jasper shouted, jumping forward to help! Behind him I saw 3 grounders rush forward.

"No!" I cried, pulling my gun off my shoulder. "Jasper, Run! Get out of here!"

I fired a shot towards the approaching Grounders, and they paused momentarily, ducking behind trees.

"That's right!" I shouted at them, angry at the whole situation. My ankle throbbed from the rope cutting into it and blood rushed my head. "STAY THE FUCK BACK!" I loosed another round.

"Tara, I'm not leaving you here!" Jasper cried from the ground. "I can't. Not after Monty!"

"Jasper, you have to get back to camp." I told him. "We can't win this one." From my unfortunate vantage point in the trees I saw two more grounders approaching. "There is more coming. Go! I will cover you."

Jasper aimed his gun, shooting at the 3 grounders who were hiding behind the trees to avoid our fire. He shot until his gun clicked empty.

"RUN! JASPER, GET OUT OF HERE!" I shouted again. Finally, he listened, throwing the now useless weapon on the ground, before sprinting away.

"Don't die, Tara. I'll get help." He shouted. "I'll be back. For you and for Monty."

I watched him disappear into the trees, before focussing my attention on the approaching grounders. I knew I only had 4 bullets left. Not enough to kill 5 of them, even if I wasn't suspended upside down in a fricken tree.

"Hey!" I shouted to the grounders behind the tree. "I'm surrendering. You don't kill me, I don't kill you. Deal?"

"Drop the weapon." Came the response.

"Do we have a deal?!" I asked again. "Because I have no qualms about continuing to shoot at you. I'm trusting you here."

"Drop the weapon."

Sighing, I clicked on the safety and released my hold on the gun, watching it drop to the ground beneath me.

Three grounders emerged from behind the trees, and two more came out of the forest behind them. The leader signalled to the latter two telling them to go after Jasper. I hoped he had a good enough of a head start. The leader of the small party approached me. Black coal was streaked down his face maring his features, and his long hair was tied back in braids. He pulled out his sword as he walked. I sighed. This is what I got for trusting that a murderous group of war criminals. A small smile tugged at my face. At least I would get to see my mom and dad again. Sooner than I had hoped, but maybe death would be more peaceful than life had been. The man stopped a few paces away, observing me. I guessed he was trying to decide which would be a more painful method of killing me. Decapitation would be fast, but it wouldn't have the same satisfaction as disembowelment. I laughed out loud at my own morbid humour.

"Just get it over with." I taunted him. "I don't much like being strung up like a side of beef."

"You're lucky I don't care to kill unarmed prisoners." The man spit, swinging his sword at the rope that connected me to the tree. Before my shock could register, I was falling to the ground, landing in an awkward heap at his feet. He grabbed my hands and bound them together, tossing me to the remaining two grounders.

"Put her with the other."

"The other?" I asked. My heart leaped in my chest. It must be Monty! Could it be that I had actually found him. I didn't even resist as the grounder yanked my bound hands, roughly pulling me to my feet. At least if I was with Monty, we could figure out how to escape together. I had never met anyone more ingenious, aside from perhaps Raven herself. I hurried through the forest with my captors, only to have my hopes cruelly dashed when I saw who the other was.

"You!" I hissed. The malicious boy actually had the audacity to smile at me as we were bound to the same tree.

"I missed you too, Tara."

Of all the people to be bound together to a tree with, John Murphy was probably the worst, I decided. For starters, he seemed to feel the need to comment on everything.

"Don't worry, they probably won't torture you until the slaughter is over. And even then, they start slow. You know, to ease you into it."

"You're despicable."

"I've heard." Murphy spit. "How's Bellamy?"

"Alive, no thanks to you. And so is Raven."

"Raven?"

"Yeah, you shot her. One of your stray bullets."

Murphy actually looked mildly concerned at that news, but quickly hid it behind a mask of indifference.

"What are you doing out here anyways?" Murphy asked. I debated not answering, but then figured if the Grounders did have Monty, Murphy would probably know.

"Searching for Monty. Do they have him?"

"Not that I've seen."

"At this point, I don't know if that is good news or bad news." I sighed.

"Oh, believe me, it's good news." Murphy groaned, as the ropes rubbed against his raw wrists. "The grounders aren't exactly advocates for 5 star treatment of prisoners."

My heart beat nervously in my chest at that, as I saw one of the grounders pointing towards me. Murphy noticed, and for once, even his voice wasn't coated in malice. "Just tell them what they want to know. Trust me."

"Trust you." A panicked incredulous laugh broke through my throat. "Trust you."

Two of the grounders began walking over and I began frantically tugging against the ropes.

"Trust me." Murphy repeated again. "If you tell them, it will be over quickly."

"And then all our friends will die." I cried.

"Friends is debatable. But they're not the ones being tortured. Do you want to survive? Tell them." He said, surprisingly calm. The grounders sliced the ropes binding me to the tree and pulled me to my feet. My eyes met Murphy's and I wasn't sure what was more terrifying: The grounders pulling me toward inevitable torture or the sympathy that filled Murphy's normally emotionless eyes.

My hands were tied above my head to a pole in the center of a tent. Five grounder warriors surrounded me, but the one with the knife was the one who had cut me out of the tree.

"You don't have to do this." I told him.

"You tortured one of ours. Don't act like you are better than us." He replied tersely. Mentally I cursed Bellamy for his actions which had inevitably come back to bite me in the ass.

"I don't know anything you don't already know." I tried again.

"You'd be surprised what people remember when the blood starts to flow." His voice was cold. "How many guns do your people have?"

"I don't know." I replied. He rested the knife against my exposed forearm, making eye contact in way that said _Last chance_. I shook my head. "I really don't know."

He shrugged and sliced. I screamed. "How many?"

"I don't know!"

More cuts joined the first.

"How many?"

"Probably about 60." I groaned. My arm was slippery with blood. The cuts were shallow and superficial, but it didn't mean they weren't painful.

"Very good." The man said. "Now, we know the forest is mined. Where are the mines."

"I don't know where they all are."

I received a small cut on my cheek.

"I can only tell you where the ones I know are!" I tried again. "I'll have to draw you a map."

"If this is a trick…" he held the knife loosely in a promised threat. Reaching up, he sliced my hands free. He grabbed me by the back of jacket before I could collapse and threw me towards a table. On it were scraps of paper and a pot of ink.

"Draw." He commanded. Gulping back my fear, I tried to think fast. I sketched the outline of the camp, and began marking out false mines. Fake intel was the only weapon I had in my arsenal at the moment. I was about halfway through marking X's on the map in spots that were open and exposed to the fox holes, when an alarm disturbed the camp. Three of the grounders in the tend with me left to go investigate. Recognizing the opportunity for what it was, I grabbed the ink pot, and smashed it against the head of the man who was torturing me.

"You'll pay for that." He promised, ink streaking down his hair and into his eyes. The other guard drew his sword and stepped forward. My lack of weapon was an obvious problem. More than ever I missed my knives. Easier to conceal than a gun by far. I kicked forward and caught the one grounder in the stomach. He coughed as the wind was knocked out of him, and I used to distraction to spin and face the man with the sword. Glancing around, I noticed that the knife that had been used to torture me was set on the desk. Leaping forward in a quick motion, I grabbed it, holding the wet blade in my hand. I tried not to think about how it was wet with my blood, as I flipped it up in the air and caught it by the handle. In a fluid motion, I crouched on the ground by the grounder I had kicked, and pulled him up in a headlock, placing the blade at his neck.

"You want your friend to die?" I shouted at him. The grounder looked at his commanding officer uncertainty.

 _"Ai gonplei ste odon"_ The man said. I didn't like the sound of that, and as the warrior with the sword ran forward, I cursed the grounders and their stupid battle mentality. I released my death grip and kicked the man in the back, sending him stumbling forward into this friend. Using the small collision as my distraction, I sidestepped and dashed towards the exit. Blood streaked my arm and my face, but adrenaline gave me the slight boost I needed to make it to the forest line.

"Sorry Murphy," I muttered, "I'll come back if I can." I ran until my breath ached in my chest. Collapsing to my knees, I tried to get my bearings, only to notice my vision turning fuzzy.

"Oh no." I groaned. In the distance, I saw two approaching figures in hazmat suits. Their pristine white boots were the last thing I saw before fading into unconsciousness.


	14. The 48

I awoke in a small white room. So much white. The walls, the floor, the door. I glanced down at my clothes...white. It all seemed so...sanitized was the only word I could think of. I glanced at my arm and was surprised to see that it was banaged in clean gauze. Reaching up, my felt my face and could feel small stitches in my cheek where the grounders blade had cut deeper. Where the hell was I? I noticed a small circular window in the door and pushed myself to my feet to go an investigate. I was grateful that I was clean and that whoever these people were had bandaged my wounds, but this room still felt suspiciously like a prison to me. The polished floor was cold against my bare feet. I frowned. For some reason having bare feet felt so exposed. Like regardless of what happened, I wouldn't be able to run. I wanted my boots back. The flimsy white tank-top did little in the way of warmth, and though the room wasn't cold, it didn't stop goosebumps from raising on my arms. I pushed my hair away from my face and looked out the window. In the hallways, people bustled by in hazmat suits. The same suits I had seen the people in the forest wearing. My mind started spiralling. Who were these people? Why did they only make themselves known now? I was about to start coming up with far-fetched theories when I finally recognized someone in the hallway. Her blonde curls cascaded wildly down her back as she marched a dark haired girl down the hall, a shard of glass pointed against her throat.

"CLARKE!" I banged on the glass, trying to catch her attention. Her blue eyes glanced towards the noise and widened when she saw me.

"Open it." I saw her mouth to the dark haired girl.

She pulled out a key card and the door sprung open.

"You're alive!" Clarke exclaimed, seeing me. "Thank god!"

"I could say the same for you!" I wanted to pull her into a hug, but the small hostage situation was keeping the reunion short and to the point.

"Where the hell are we?" I asked.

"Please…" The girl whimpered, her hands in the air.

"We have to get out of here." Clarke said. "They have Monty."

"What?!" I exclaimed and turned to the dark-haired girl. "Where is he?! You've had him this entire time?"

"There has got to be an exit somewhere." Clarke muttered looking around.

"Down there." I said pointing to the elevator. "C'mon."

The two of us took off, dragging the poor hostage with us.

"What floor?" Clarke asked, digging the shard of glass against the girls throat to remind her of her situation. She nudged a button, and the doors closed. My breaths came in staccato rhythm as adrenaline pumped through me. The brunette was choking on her sobs, gasping in fear. The doors dinged open, and nothing could have prepared me for the situation ahead. It looked like...civilization? But that was impossible! A woman passed a towering platter of pancakes to a little boy who grinned as he accepted them. I gazed in open mouthed awe.

"What on earth…" I mumbled, stepping forward. It was like a dream. Surely this couldn't be real. The woman who had handed off the pancakes, glanced past us, but then her gaze returned with alarm!

"Containment breach! Containment breach!" She shrieked. An alarm blared as Clarke lowered her arm from the hostage in shock. She looked just as taken aback as I was.

"Where the hell as we?"

I didn't have time to answer before the two of us were accosted by guards.

Clarke's hostage had run away towards the safety of the guards. I dropped into a fighting stance, looking for any escape, but there were far too many of them. All of them had guns, and were dressed in khaki body armour. Hands grabbed my and pulled me away, dragging my back towards the elevator we had just come from. Clarke wasn't faring much better, but I could tell from the look in her eyes that this was just the beginning.

"Where are we?" I asked the guard who was propelling me down the pristine white hallway. "Who are you?"

"My name is Whitman." The guard said. His voice sounded friendly enough, but his tight grip on my arm spoke volumes about how seriously he took his job.

"Well, Whitman, where are our friends? What is this place?" I pressed again.

"Dante will be along to explain your situation shortly." He replied, shoving me down onto a bed and snapping my arms into a set of restraints. I pulled against them, testing them for weakness and found none. Clarke was being secured on the opposite side of the room. Once the guards were satisfied with their work, they left the room, leaving the two of us alone.

"Don't tell them anything." Clarke whispered to me. "We don't know what this is."

I nodded in agreement. "What happened at the drop-ship?" I asked her. Clarke looked around the room, her eyes landing on the cameras in the corner.

"They're watching us. Probably listening too." She nodded in the direction of the cameras. "I'll tell you when we get out."

"Did Jasper make it back?" I mouthed, making sure I was inaudible to any camera or microphone that would have been nearby. Clarke nodded slightly, and a weight lifted from my chest. I had been worrying about him from the moment he left me in the forest.

"He was worried about you." Clarke whispered, almost too quiet for me to hear.

The door to the room opened and we both turned our heads to see three people walk into the room. A woman in a lab coat holding a clipboard appeared to be a doctor, and an elderly man wearing a faded jacket was the one who I assumed was Dante. The third was the brunette girl who Clarke had taken hostage. She was wearing a light yellow medical gown and was glancing nervously between Clarke and Dante.

"Hello Clarke. How is your arm?" The doctor asked. I glanced at Clarke's arm noticing only now that it was sliced open. Clarke glared at the woman, and she laughed, turning to me.

"Your friend isn't much of a talker."

"A skill she probably picked up from those savages." Dante commented. "No matter. Maya has something she would like to say first anyways."

The brunette girl stepped forward to speak. She was still upset with Clarke and I, that much was obvious. Her words made it very clear that she thought we were impulsive and reckless, but when Dante stepped in, she swallowed her anger and told us she wouldn't be pressing charges.

Charges? Did they have a prison system? Were we part of it? The thought of being a prisoner once more did not sit well with me and I shifted against my restraints. Dante's eyes came to rest on the shackles and he frowned.

"I don't think you'll be needing those." He said, releasing me. "You are not prisoners, after all."

"Then what are we?" I asked.

"We are hoping that you will grow to call this place home." He smiled. Clarke didn't seem convinced as two guards wheeled in a large box.

"You two get dressed and meet me in the hall. We can get you started with a tour of the place!" Dante said, leading the guard out into the hall. I looked at the box and clicked it open. Inside, rows of clothes were hanging, with pairs of shoes neatly lined up on the bottom. The clothes were nothing like what I was used to. On the arc, clothes serves the purpose of practicality. Everything was made of tough, durable material, intended for hard use and wear. Clarke picked up a high-heeled shoe, looking at me in disbelief.

"This isn't right." She said, snapping the heel off. "Be on your guard." She grabbed a bright pink sweater and some white pants, sliding the broken off heel up her sleeve. I ran my hands along the soft fabrics, settling on a soft grey t-shirt, a long blue woolen cardigan and some black leggings. They seemed versatile enough if I needed to fight or run in a moment's notice. I grabbed a pair of flats off the shelf, and was annoyed at the way they pinched my feet.

"I'm going to have to ask for my boots back." I complained, following Clarke into the hall.

"I'm afraid we can't give them back. We don't allow any contaminated items into the bunker." Dante said as we approached. Clarke and Dante talked about the layout of the building, where the power was coming from and other topics as we headed back towards level 5. I kept quiet observing every small detail I could get my eyes on. So far I didn't see an exit, but as Dante explained, we were underground, so I wasn't expecting one on every floor. In the elevator Dante requested the high-heel from Clarke and I was left to wonder how exactly he knew she had it. My mind went back to the camera's we had seen in the entrance room. We arrived at the hall I had seen earlier, where everyone had been eating.

"Are there still pancakes?" I asked Dante, ignoring the look of incredulity from Clarke. If we were going to be running for our lives, I be damned if I wasn't going to eat first. Dante laughed. "I think we can find something."

"Tara!" A familiar voice shouted and I was gathering in a crushing hug.

"Monty!" I exclaimed, hugging him back! "You're ok! You're ok!" Tears streamed down my face as I hugged my friend. Our hug was interrupted by Jasper gathering the two of us together in another hug, and dragging Clarke into the middle of it.

"I can't believe you are alive!" Jasper exclaimed. "I was certain the grounders had gotten you!"

"Where is Finn?" Clarke asked looking around.

"And Bellamy? Octavia?" I added. Jasper looked at the ground for a moment and I felt my high spirits sink.

"They...they didn't make it." Jasper choked out the answer none of us wanted to hear.

"You don't know that." Clarke said, shaking her head. I was inclined to agree with her. We didn't know who was left out there until we went and searched ourselves. As grateful I was to these people for their clothes and food, I didn't trust them.

"We'll talk to Dante and get them to let us go out on a search." I told Clarke.

"And if he doesn't let us?"

"Then we'll go anyways." I smiled. "But first, let's eat!"

"I'm not eating their food." she said, pushing away a piece of pie. Her and I had to agree to disagree on that sentiment, as I took a bite. It was heaven in my mouth.

"Oh my god." I moaned as the rich taste of apples and cinnamon coated my mouth.

"If you think that is good, wait till you try the chocolate cake!" Monty laughed.

"There's chocolate?"

"You guys," Clarke insisted, drawing our attention back to her. "They gave us a map with no exits. You really think we aren't prisoners here?"

I paused from stuffing my face with pie to consider her question.

"I was a prisoner in the grounder camp." I told her. "This is preferable by far. But I'm not going to give up my freedom for food, no matter how good it is. I don't trust these people, but shouldn't we give them a chance to earn our trust?"

"This is ridiculous." Jasper commented. "I'm going to get more cake." He stood up and left, and Clarke sighed, going to sit in an armchair and assess the room. I watched her with a worried stare.

"She'll come around." Monty smiled. I was so happy to have him back by my side.

"I understand her concern." I told him. "How has it been since you got out of the decontamination area?"

"Honestly?" Monty asked. "I still can't believe it is real. It is a change to not have to worry about someone killing you every second of everyday."

"I can imagine."

Monty paused, considering his next words.

"I don't know how I can every begin to make up for what happened to you because of me, Tara." He said.

"What do you mean?"

"The grounders. Jasper told me they took you when you were out looking for me."

I shrugged, putting the memory of my short captivity behind me. "It's what any friend would have done. You owe me nothing."

"No, I don't accept that."

"Fine, then you owe me a piece of this chocolate cake you and Jasper keep raving about." I smiled. "Seriously Monty, I'm just glad you are ok."

Monty stood up with a laugh to go and get the cake, only to glance my way with a worried look.

"I think cake may have to wait."

"Why?" I asked, following his gaze. I cursed. Clarke was gone. The alarms that followed gave me a good idea of where she had gone to.

"She's going to get herself killed." Monty said, helping me to my feet as the alarms wailed around us.

"No she won't." I reassured him. "She's Clarke. She'll be fine. C'mon."

"Where are we going?"

"Now seems like the perfect time to explore some out of bounds areas, wouldn't you say?"

"You haven't changed one bit."

"Did you expect me to have?" I smirked. "It's now or never. Everyone is distracted looking for Clarke."

Monty looked skyward and sighed. "I miss the good old days when my only bad influence was Jasper."

"You don't mean that." I grinned as he followed me out of the mess hall. We snuck along the hallways, sticking to the shadows, until we came across a door marked with red. Monty stealthily lifted a keycard from one of the passing guards, and I used it to open the door. A metal staircase descended into the lower levels.

"After you." Monty gestured, ever the gentleman. I climbed down the stairs, cursing the flats I was wearing. After one flight of stairs, I took them off, opting to go barefoot to minimize the sound. Beneath us, voices were getting louder. I help up a hand gesturing for Monty to stop. Both of us paused on the metal stairwell listening to the two people talking on the level beneath us.

"We haven't even tested their blood yet." A female voice carried up the stairs. "They could hold the answer we are looking for and your father won't even consider testing."

After listening a little longer, I recognized her voice as the doctor who was in the room with Clarke and I. Doctor Tsing.

"Look, I'll talk to him. The kids won't suffer. I can promise him that. It's just for a few tests and then they will be good as new." A voice I didn't recognize replied. I shared a concerned look with Monty.

"And Project Cerberus? How is that going?" Dr. Tsing asked.

"Better and better with every treatment."

I gestured to Monty that we should start our ascent and he nodded in agreement. The last thing we wanted was to be caught snooping where we shouldn't be.

"Well, well, well." A voice sounded behind us. "What do we have here?"

Spinning, I saw the guard Monty had lifted the keycard from. "We were just looking for you! We wanted to return this." I told him, holding out the pass.

"Let's go." He huffed, grabbing Monty and I. Clearly he was not convinced of our good intentions.

"Sure thing, Emerson." I told him, remembering his name from the tag. "I'm sure you'll be more attentive to your badge in the future. We're just glad we could get it back before someone ended up somewhere they shouldn't have."

Monty looked at me in incredulity. "Tara…" he warned. He didn't want me to dig our pit any deeper.

"You can be sure I will." Emerson snarled, as we reached the mess hall. "Especially when there are thieves about."

I held my hand against my chest in mock offense.

"Thief? Me? Monty, can you believe this?"

Monty rolled his eyes, but a small smile was on his face once he realized we were not on the brink of being floated.

"I've got my eye on you." Emerson growled, as he released us back into civilization.

"Oh believe me, I've got my eye on all of you." I muttered, turning the information Monty and I had discovered over in my mind. One thing was clear. Not everyone in Mount Weather was our friend.


	15. Inclement Weather

The dorm rooms were rows upon rows of bunk beds, and though I knew Monty didn't snore, the same could not be said for the rest of the 48 who we were sharing the dorm with. I sighed, laying awake on the top bunk. Rolling onto my side, I could see Jasper and Monty's bunk which was right beside mine. Both of them were asleep. Clarke was awake in the distance sketching away in the dim light afforded by the nightlight each bunk was equipped with. My active mind thought back on the conversation I had overhead earlier and I knew I would have to mention it to Clarke. I just hoped she wouldn't do anything rash. My dad had always taught me the best way to discover anything was to work calmly, thereby avoiding unnecessary confrontation. That went double for when the secrets to be discovered may have to be revealed through not-so-by-the-book means. That was how I worked on the Arc, and that was how I intended to work now. Whatever the hell project cerberus was, I intended to find out. As for their plans regarding "testing"... that called for some investigation as well. I would need to figure out how to get another keycard. My pickpocketing skills were not that good. My thieving skill sets laid more in the covert gathering and distribution of food tokens, as well as trade in information to keep people on my side when it counted. It had backfired with Patrick, but I had learned my lesson there. If he had survived, I would not be trusting him anytime soon. Just like I wouldn't be trusting any of the people in Mount Weather until they proved otherwise.

Morning came faster than I would have liked, considering I didn't sleep well. I was rudely awoken by a pillow slamming down on top of my face.

"Wake up, Tara." Jasper said, retrieving his pillow. "Trust me when I say, you don't want to miss breakfast."

"Wasn't breakfast in bed a thing once?" I moaned, tugging my blanket up over my head.

"Maybe in storybooks." Jasper grinned. "Don't you want pancakes…?" The thought of soft fluffy breakfast food enticed me to peak out from under the covers.

"You can always have a nap in the afternoon." Monty added.

"Oh, there is Maya! I'm going to say hi!" Jasper jumped forward as Maya and Miller walked into the room. He practically skipped over towards the two of them, smoothing wrinkles from his shirt as he went.

"He seems happy." I smiled at Monty.

"Easy for you to say," Monty laughed, "You don't have to listen to him talk about her 24/7."

"I just hope for his sake that she is one of the good ones."

"One of the good ones?" Clarke's voice chimed in as she approached us.

"I'll tell you over breakfast." I told her, voice quiet. "While you were finding the way out yesterday, Monty and I discovered a few things ourselves."

"I want to hear everything." She said, just as an alarm went off. At the other end of the room, I saw panic cross Maya's face. Clarke didn't miss a beat as she strode off towards the other girl. I figured Clarke would let me know whatever was going on with the alarm, but in the meantime, I had my own things to discover. I walked to breakfast with Monty and Harper.

"C'mon Monty," Harper pressed him. "We need a guard pass."

I grinned, pleased that she was on my side.

"The two of you are horrible influences. Did you learn nothing from the Arc?" Monty chided.

"Just think about what we learned yesterday!" I told him. "Don't tell me you aren't the least bit curious about what's going on in this bunker."

"I just don't know if we should repay their hospitality by snooping." He said, but I could feel him softening.

"It's not snooping!" Harper pressured. "It's exploring! If they want us to make this our home, shouldn't we be able to have a look around?"

"Hmm…" I grinned, elbowing him in the side. "You can have a look at their hydroponic farm."

Monty pointed his fork at me. "How dare you tempt me with plants."

"Just think of all the crops." Harper added. "Apples, pears, carrots…maybe other...herbs?"

Monty tilted his head to the side in consideration.

"Once a criminal always a criminal." He sighed in resignation.

"Hey now," I told him, "We're not criminals! We're just...rule benders."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"Maybe on the Arc, but we aren't on the Arc anymore, are we?" Harper smiled and Monty perked up.

"Fine. You've convinced me. I'll get us a pass. But only after we are done eating."

"You don't have to ask me twice." I told them, pouring blueberry syrup on top of the stack of golden pancakes that graced my plate. I picked up a slice of bacon, dipped it in the syrup, and popped it in my mouth. "Mmmm…"

"You might as well just ask them to put the bacon in the pancakes for you." Harper laughed.

"That is a brilliant idea! The moment I meet the chef I'm going to propose it!" I told her in return. She sat sipping her coffee, and eating poached eggs on toast.

"They certainly know how to cook here."

"I wonder if they would teach me." Monty ventured.

"Why not?" I shrugged. "You'd probably have a knack for it."

"What makes you say that?"

"You have a knack for everything."

Monty shrugged, scooping more scrambled eggs onto his plate. The three of us scraped our plates clean before pushing to our feet to go and acquire a guard pass.

"Sorry," Monty apologized to the guard he had just bumped into.

"Don't worry about it." The friendly guard replied, already forgetting the small collision.

"Easy as pie." Monty grinned, showing the two of us the pass.

"If making pie is easy." Harper commented.

We walked casually towards the elevator, waiting for it to empty before we scanned the pass and selected the agriculture level to appease Monty.

The door opened to reveal a large hydroponic farm I had ever seen. It was nothing like what we had on the Arc. The farm stretched on for what looked like at least a kilometer. Beside me, Monty's jaw dropped. He handed me the guard pass without looking and stepped forward into the rows of agriculture.

"You go ahead and explore. I'm going to be here a while."

I shrugged and Harper followed me back to the elevator. I wanted to go to the basement. If anything shady was going down, I was certain it would be down there. The doors opened to an industrial area with hissing pipes and large tanks.

"What the hell is this?" Harper asked.

"My guess is it's where the electricity from the Dam comes…" I said, surveying the room from the top of the metal catwalks. In the corner of the room I noticed a fuse-box and walked over. Flipping it open, I frowned at the labels inside. Some were generic; lights and heating in the mess hall and dormitory, power to the farm, power to the security system… but one label made my heart jump in my chest.

"Harvest chamber?" I read outloud to Harper.

"Probably for the farm, no?"

"That's what I thought too, but it is linked with all the electricity going to the medical bay."

"That's a little strange." Harper said leaning forward to help me read more labels. I added the information to my small stash, hoping I would be able to puzzle out what was going on here sooner rather than later.

"Aha!" I said triumphantly. "That's where we want to go!"

"Defense mechanisms?" Harper read.

"If these people are our enemy, isn't it good to know what they've got to use against us?"

"Well, I do miss my gun."

I laughed. "I miss my knives."

"Maybe we can find where the guards train and train with them. I love the cake, but I don't want to get soft in here."

"I'm with you there." I said, closing the fuse-box. "C'mon, let's go get Monty and return this pass before we get into real trouble."

"Hey! What are you doing down here!" A guard shouted, pointing at the two of us. Harper and I sprinted towards the elevator and made it just as three guards surfaced at the top of the stairs. I waved my fingers in a joyous goodbye to them as the doors closed and we made it safely back to the agriculture room. A quick scan of the room for Monty proved fruitless. He had likely wandered further in and was already learning all he could from the farmers who worked here. Some things never changed.

"Well, shall we go find that training room?" Harper asked me.

"You go on ahead. I'll meet you there. I'm going to go talk to Dante about sending us out with the patrols." I told her. "No one new has arrived, and I refuse to believe they are all dead."

"You mean you refuse to believe Bellamy is dead."

I rolled my eyes at the insinuation. "And everyone else. Finn. Raven. Octavia. Sterling. Hell, even Murphy. They're all still out there!"

"You're worried about Murphy?" Harper seemed incredulous. I didn't blame her for her skepticism, but being tortured at the grounder camp had given me a newfound respect for John Murphy. And I didn't want anyone to suffer at their hands like I had, not even someone who I could barely stand on a good day.

"What can I say, when you've been tortured by the same people and tied to the same tree, it makes a bond."

"I'll have to take your word on that." She laughed. "I'll see you later." She walked off towards the training area that was marked out on our welcome maps, and I made my way towards the head offices. It was true that I was worried about Bellamy and the rest, but until I saw bodies, I wasn't about to just roll over and believe they were dead.

"C'mon Dad. Just one. For testing. There are 48 of them here."

"I said no, and that is final."

There were people in the office. I recognized Dante's voice, and matched the other one to the man I had overheard talking with Dr. Tsing.

"They could be the key to us going outside again! Imagine it! The sun on your face, fresh air! You could paint what you see, and not just what you remember!"

"I won't condone human testing."

"You already condone human testing. What's the difference?"

"These kids are civilized. And more than that, Cage, they're kids! Not one of them is over 25."

"Sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the greater good."

"Enough." Dante said. "If you find volunteers, I will consider it. But I won't allow it against their will."

I figured I should make my entrance before I got accused of eavesdropping, so I stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"Yes?"

I entered. Inside I saw oil paintings hung over every inch of the grand office, as well as a monitoring system showing what was happening in each of the rooms. I was curious if it had shown me listening at the door, but then again, the two men were clearly in a heated discussion so I doubted they had noticed. Standing beside Dante was a younger man, no older than 35, with dark hair and eyes, set in very pale skin. His mouth curved in an unpleasant smile.

"President Wallace," I started, showing the proper respect. My dad had certainly taught me to respect the chain of command, especially when you were wanting something. I didn't mind doing so as long as I was able to break it when it suited me and those around me. "When does the next patrol leave to go look for survivors?"

"A patrol just got back this morning." Dante said. "But they were attacked by the natives. One of our men was killed."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I told him, meaning it. "I understand if you can't risk more of your people to go and look."

"I never said that. We will of course continue to look for survivors."

"Well, regardless of when you will have more men ready to leave or if you decide we are not worth looking for, I would like to go topside and aid in the search."

"Absolutely not." The dark-haired man cut in. I threw him a dirty look. I didn't care for him, his attitude, or the fact that he seemed to think he could tell me what to do.

"What my son means is, it is very dangerous out there Tara. You could get hurt."

"We were living out there for months just fine without your help." I told both of them. "In fact, barely 100 of us managed to kill 300 of their best soldiers, so you'll pardon my desire to be offended at the fact that you think we can't take care of ourselves."

"Who would you take with you?" Dante asked.

"Clarke."

"Just one person?"

"Less targets for grounders." I told him. Beside him, his son rolled his eyes, mouth open in a visible scoff.

"They'll be dead before they even set foot outside." He complained to his father. I thought back on the conversations I had overheard and I was 99% certain that Cage had different reasons for wanting to keep us behind.

"Look, you told us we weren't prisoners." I pointed out to Dante. "And if you want to merge our societies, surely having more of our people is a good start to that."

Dante nodded considering. "I agree. But as much as I would like to let you go, I can't. At least, not until Clarke is out of the infirmary."

"She is in the infirmary?" I asked, taken aback by this news.

"Sliced her arm open again in an unfortunate accident. As soon as she is healed up and Dr. Tsing gives you both the all clear from medical, you are welcome to join the search parties."

I saw Cage's mouth turn up in a small smirk when he heard Dr. Tsing's name. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"In the meantime, I will continue sending out patrols to watch for your people. Is that a fair arrangement?" Dante asked, ever placating.

"I suppose it is." I told him. "Thank you."

He nodded, and as I turned to leave the office, Cage stepped forward as well.

"Are you really so eager to get sliced up by the savages again?" He asked, as we walked down the hall.

"I'm eager to go and look for my friends. Nothing short of death is going to stop me from doing that."

"Hmm…" Cage said, looking at me with contemplation. I turned away from his gaze, and began to walk away.

"Tara," He called out and I paused looking back over my shoulder. "My father may not watch the video feeds of this place, but I do. I suggest you stick to the designated areas from now on. We wouldn't want anything to happen that would...hinder...you being able to search for your friends."

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I felt the threat in his words.

"You mean something like project cerberus?" I asked, facing him. The words took him aback, and I could see momentary panic before he replaced it with a cold mask of calm.

"And how do you know about that?"

"I know about a lot of things." I said, bluffing. I had no idea what it was, but if this was my opportunity to find out, I wasn't going to pass it up.

Cage tilted his head to the side, before releasing a laugh. "You're lying." He grinned. "You nearly had me there."

I shrugged, "Can't fault a girl for trying."

Cage stepped closer to me. "Just remember, I'll be watching."

I turned and walked away, trying not to let him see how badly he had rattled me. For now, I had 3 goals in Mount Weather before going to search for my friends: Find the defense system, figure out what the hell project cerberus was, and stay the hell away from Cage Wallace.


	16. Human Trials

Days passed in Mount Weather, and I fell into a sort of routine. Wake up, eat breakfast, go train with Harper, followed by pestering Dante to let me see Clarke, and to let us leave the bunker. It was only after 3 days on incessant nagging on my part before Maya stepped up and gave me some answers.

"She's not in the infirmary." She said, biting her lip. "She's in the psych ward."

"What?"

"Yeah, she just snapped and started pulling out her stitches and trying to hurt herself…"

I frowned. That didn't sound like the Clarke I knew.

"Where is the psych ward?" I asked her. "It's not marked on any map."

"For good reason!" Maya said, looking alarmed. "No one wants to go there! Living underground, never seeing the sun...you'd be surprised how many people snap."

"Maya, please." I told her. "Clarke is my friend. This doesn't sound like her at all."

"I will ask and see, but it's not really my department. Dr. Tsing is in charge of it."

That information was unpleasant to hear, as I had learned Dr. Tsing worked very closely with Cage Wallace, the creep.

"I appreciate it." I smiled at her. I truly did think she was one of the good ones in the bunker. And she was good to Jasper who was absolutely smitten. I went and collapsed into a cushy armchair, sighing loudly. Despite the daily martial arts training, I was anxious to be doing something worthwhile. It felt like the longer I was trapped in here unable to search for my friends, the more likely it was that they would be caught by grounders, tortured, and killed. I must have looked as anxious as I felt because Monty appeared moments later carrying two steaming mugs.

"Hot chocolate to soothe the soul?" He asked, offering me one. I smiled slightly and accepted the warm drink.

"What's on your mind?" He asked, settling into the other chair.

"I'm worried about Clarke. Maya says they put her in the psych ward because she started hurting herself."

"That doesn't sound like her."

"That's what I said!" I exclaimed, "And worse, the psych ward isn't listed on the maps. And I don't think it was on the fuse box wiring either."

"You don't think it exists." Monty said, connecting the dots to what was worrying me."

"Why would it!" I asked, sipping my drink. "I understand people can have mental breaks or develop psychosis, but their infirmary is entirely equipped for that!"

Monty pursed his lips, deep in thought.

"I suppose there is only one way to know." He said, with a sigh of resignation.

"Which is?"

"More unauthorized exploring."

"Yeah, but you heard Cage. He's watching the feeds. And since he is head of security, I don't fancy him being the one to catch us. With his talk of "human trials" and all." I reminded Monty. He and Harper were my closest confidants, and the only ones I trusted with the information that I had been gleaning.

"But what if you used the air vents?" Monty asked, raising an eyebrow. I pursed my lips considering it and then grinned.

"You know, that just might work."

Monty nodded. "I'll loosen the grate in front of the vents in the dorm. There is enough furniture in there that it should be blocked from view by the cameras. Jasper is going to see Dante again about Clarke this afternoon."

"Let me know what he says." I told Monty. "I'm worried about her."

"Hopefully whatever you find in the vents can help put your mind at ease."

"Or confirm some theories."

I downed the rest of the hot-chocolate and grinned. "You know, this really does soothe the soul."

"That's because I added something special." Monty laughed.

"What?"

"I found the liquor cabinet! You wouldn't believe what they have in there."

I joined in with his laughter, feeling a slight weight come off my chest. Monty went off to find Jasper and I left to go gather everything I needed to get around via vent. I borrowed some rubber palmed gloves from the training room, and some non-slip shoes. Then, dressing in tight sports clothing with a small knife courtesy of the dining hall, I made my way to the loosened vent. I went over the map in my mind and planned out the general directions I would need to travel in. The first place I wanted to go was the labs where Cage ran most of his security and did his testing. A chance to be a fly on that wall was not something I wanted to pass up. And besides, I had a sneaking suspicion that if Clarke had fallen into Dr. Tsing's hands, she would either be with her or with Cage. I just had to find out where they were performing their unorthodox tests and what exactly those unorthodox tests were. Inching my way forwards I made my way to another vent and peaked out. This was in infirmary, so I needed to go lower. Taking a deep breath I looked at the descending air-vent and gathered my nerve. It was about a 20ft drop, if not more, to the next level. I gathered my nerve and slowly lowered myself into the descent, using the rubber on my shoes to control my pace. Getting back up would be a challenge, but I was sure I could manage it one way or another. I touched down lightly at the bottom and crouched back down to crawling position before continuing to army crawl through the tight space. The training with Harper had been a good idea, as already I was feeling the strain from crawling in such a small space.

"Now I know how Octavia felt." I mumbled to myself, pulling myself forward towards the next exit vent.

"See now, I told you it got better." The now familiar voice of Cage Wallace floated up to greet me. I was definitely in the right place. Peeking out of the vent, what I saw nearly stopped my blood cold.

In the center of the room, strapped to what looked like a horrific dentists chair, was Lincoln. He pulled against the restraints, practically foaming at the mouth against the gag that was roughly cutting across his face. Cage stood beside him leaning nonchalantly on the chair, injecting a red drug into Lincoln's neck.

"Already your body is craving it." He laughed in a sick and twisted manner. My face contorted in horror watching the scene unfold. Cage nodded in self satisfaction as Lincoln's eyes rolled in his head as whatever was in the drug took effect. His back arched in pain as suddenly, an electric shock was delivered to the chair as Cage held out a beacon which was emitting a high-pitched frequency. The electric shock continued with the tone, and when the tone stopped, so did the shock. Cage looked up into a camera mounted on the wall by the door. I cursed, knowing that there was no way for me to get down there and help Lincoln without being seen.

"15 seconds. That's almost a record. This one's a thoroughbred. Up his dosage. Shock treatments every 2 hours. When he fears the tone, we move to phase 2." Cage sounded almost impressed. I barely managed to keep myself from making a sound of disgust as he left the room leaving Lincoln alone and drugged in what I now assumed was an electric chair. I knew I couldn't just leave him there, especially not with an apparent psychopath, who was creating god only knew what with that red drug. Looking down at my clothes, I made a hasty plan. I used the knife to cut off the long sleeves of my shirt and sliced them vertically along the seam. I tied one strip of long fabric just under my eyes and the other I tied to the inside fame of the vent to assist in lowering me to the ground. Then I slowly used the knife to loosen the screws holding the vent cover in place.

"Lincoln." I tried to get his attention while I worked. "Lincoln!"

The large man jolted and strained against his bonds, fighting to get free.

"Lincoln, it's Tara. I'm going to get you out." I told him, working on the last screw. Threading my fingers through the slats, I pushed the cover off and held it with one hand, slowly lowering it to the ground. I didn't know how much time I had before the video feed was checked, so I knew I needed to work fast, but also quietly. Nothing would bring people running faster than a loud crash. I hopped out of the vent and rushed over to the camera, cutting the cord that gave it power. Quickly, I turned my attention to Lincoln.

"What did they do to you…" I asked, pulling the gag from his mouth, only to have to snatch my hand back in horror as his teeth snapped shut right where my fingers had been. His pupils were fully dilated, making his eyes appear almost pitch black.

"What the hell was in that drug?" I asked, watching him thrash against the bindings, looking at me with pure rage and what I could only describe as hunger. Noises erupted from his throat as he growled and hissed. He was behaving like the Reapers Clarke had told me about.

"Look, I'll never get you out of here if you keep fighting me." I told him, trying to approach again. The only response I got was a gutteral snarl. Throwing my hands up in the air, I huffed.

"I guess we are doing this the hard way." I told him. "Sorry. You'll thank me later." With that, I stepped behind his head outside of his vantage point. I grabbed my knife, flipped it in my hand and brought the hilt down hard on the side of his head. Lincoln's head lolled sideways as he fell unconscious. Quickly, I sliced the restraints holding him in place and shoved him out of the chair. He landed on the ground in a heap. Now I was faced with the new problem of how to move the man who was tall as a tree and built of muscle. I was strong, but not strong enough to carry over 200lbs of deadweight. I lifted his arm and half dragged him towards the door, dropping him again to open it. Fortunately it was unlocked. Unfortunately, there were guards right outside.

"Hey!" The guard yelled, aiming his gun. Quickly I slammed the door shut looking for a way to lock it. Not seeing any, I held the door shut with all my strength as the two men outside shouted and pounded the door.

"Now would be a good time to wake up and be normal Lincoln again." I told the prostrate man on the ground. As if on cue, Lincoln's eyes opened. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be normal Lincoln, but rather crazy zombie murder Lincoln.

"Well, fuck me." I cursed, as he snarled jumping to his feet. My back was pressed to the door to stop the guards, but as soon as Lincoln's eyes found mine, centuries old instinct of predator vs prey kicked in and all I could think of was how to get out of here. I saw the scrap of my shirt dangling from the vent and knew it was my only hope, but I would have to time it perfectly.

Outside, I heard more voices join the guards.

"What are you doing?" Someone admonished them. "Just shoot the damn door! Maybe you'll hit them."

Bullets cascaded through and I shrieked in pain as one grazed my bare arm. It left an abrasion but luckily didn't imbed in the flesh. I knew it would heal in time, if only I could make it to the vent! Then, my moment arrived.

The voice of Cage cut through the noise with harsh authority.

"Don't shoot! I want them alive. He's going to be my masterpiece." The high-pitched frequency I had heard before vibrated through the air right as Lincoln charged at me. The noise didn't cause him to collapse, but he did pause and tense up as if waiting for an incoming pain. I did not waste the small distraction and I used the change to run to the vent. Grabbing my small scrap of fabric, I used it to aid me in getting back up into the vents and I started crawling with urgency.

Behind me, I could hear the door open, but I didn't dare look back.

"AFTER HER!" I heard someone cry. I was already crawling as fast as I could, with my arm aching from the cut from the bullet. By the time I reached the ascension point, I could hear soldiers behind me. I hoped the fact that my shoes and gloved had rubber would prevent them from following me up. I stood as soon as the vent allowed, placing my hands flat against the side, followed by feet. Fully aware of the pursuit, I inched my way upwards until I was blessed with the end of the ascent. The soldiers behind me tried to climb but in their bulky boots, they kept sliding back down, unable to gain any traction. I collapsed at the top, gasping for breath. Knowing I was no longer being pursued allowed me to make my way back to the dorm without further fear of guards following me.

Once back in the dorm, I looked around for anyone, but was pleased to see I was alone. I peeled off the now filthy clothes and went to the showers, rinsing the wound and binding it with some clean cloth. I knew I couldn't go to the infirmary without raising suspicions, but fortunately, the scrape didn't appear deep. Just tender. Throwing on some skinny jeans and a oversized grey sweater I left to go find Monty and Harper.

I didn't have to look long. I ran into Harper almost as soon as I stepped out of the dorm.

"They're testing on Jasper!" She told me, grabbing my hand and dragging me towards the infirmary.

"What? What happened?"

"There was a breach in the dorm before. Dante told Jasper that Clarke ran away, and while we were preparing to go look for her, a radiation leak happened."

"So? The radiation can't hurt us."

"Yes, but Maya was in there too." Harper continued, selecting the floor for the infirmary in the elevator. "And now Dr. Tsing is filtering her blood through his system."

I narrowed my eyes as the elevator dinged indicating we had arrived. Harper raced down the hallway with me in tow until we arrived at Jasper's room. Monty was seated in a chair monitoring the entire process with a look if extreme mistrust on his face. Dr. Tsing turned towards us as we entered.

"As I told your friend, Jasper will be just fine. But this will take a few hours, so you can leave and we will inform you as soon as anything changes."

"And as I told you, I'm staying right here." Monty replied.

"That goes double for me." I said, sitting down on the floor beside the chair Monty was on. After what I had just seen going on in the labs downstairs, there was no way in hell I was letting these mad scientists be alone with one of our people.


	17. Survival Of The Fittest

Jasper was in the infirmary for 3 days. And while Maya recovered at what appeared to be a miracle rate according the Dr. Tsing, Jasper was pale, sweating, and vomiting. Only on the eve of the second day was he finally regaining some colour. During that time Monty, Harper and I stayed in the infirmary. The first night, I slept curled on the cold floor next to Harper, while Monty had fallen asleep in the awkward armchair. The next night, Harper and I dragged in some extra beds from different wards, despite the protests of Dr. Tsing.

"We need those beds for our other patients." She complained.

"What other patients?" I asked, continuing to drag the bed. My arm ached from the bullet wound, but I didn't dare let her see that I was injured. After the breach in the basement, Cage had put the whole bunker on high alert. I knew I needed to get back to the dorms and dispose of my hastily stashed vent climbing clothes, but I couldn't leave in good faith until Jasper was on the mend.

"What if someone is exposed while they are out searching for your people?"

"Oh, has Dante sent out another team?" I asked, feigning shock. "Because last time I spoke to him, he wasn't going to. In fact, Jasper, Monty and I were going to go search for Clarke right before this breach happened. So by all means, if someone comes in needing a bed, feel free to kick me out in the middle of the night and take this one back."

Dr. Tsing didn't say anything, but her deep scowl spoke volumes. I turned and continued to drag the bed down the hallway.

"I'm just saying you and your friends would be more comfortable in the dorms."

"And I'm just saying that if this is an inconvenience for you, perhaps you should have thought that through before you began experimenting on my friends."

"He volunteered." Her spine straightened. "And isn't Maya your friend too?"

"I'm glad she is ok," I told her, "But if Jasper doesn't start to recover soon, you and I are going to have problems."

She scoffed, spun on her heel, and walked away, leaving me to drag the bed the rest of the way to Jasper's small recovery room. It was a much more comfortable sleep that night, and the next day, Jasper was very clearly on the mend.

"I haven't felt that bad since I took a spear to the chest." He groaned, his energy finally returning. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"How's Maya?" He asked, looking around the room

"Alive, thanks to you." I told him. "I'll go get her for you."

Leaving Jasper in the capable hands of Monty and Harper, I set out to find Maya…and dispose of some incriminating evidence. I stepped into the dorm and was horrified to see bright blue flames circling the air vent as a guard in a mask welded it shut. Standing beside him was Cage. The welder paused as Cage held up his hand, turning to me.

"Ah, just who I was hoping to see."

"Cage, what can I do for you?" I asked, hoping that my anxiety was not showing in my voice or on my face.

"You can tell me where you were 3 days ago at 13h00."

"What, you think I keep a timetable?" I scoffed. "I was probably finishing lunch. Or in the training hall."

"You see," Cage said, stepping closer. "Here's the thing. I don't believe you."

I shrugged. "I really don't care what you believe."

"I already checked the tapes Tara." His voice was soft. "You weren't in either place. In fact, it looks like you had a drink with your friend Monty, and then came back here...where you weren't seen for about 2 hours following."

"So it's a crime to have a long shower?" I arched an eyebrow. "Or do you put cameras in there too."

Cage waved his hand to the welder to continue sealing the vent, and stepped even closer to me, grabbing my arm roughly.

I winced as the pressure on my wound caused fresh hot blood to seep out of the cut.

"I know it was you. I might not be able to prove it, but I know." He snarled.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I spit back.

Cage released my arm, and then looked at his hand, noticing the blood on it.

"Don't you?" He grinned. "How did you hurt your arm, Tara?"

"I hit it on a corner of the bunk beds. You really ought to consider making them out of wood, not metal." I smirked. "But I guess that poses a problem since all the trees are outside and soaked in radiation."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Still, you ought to get that checked out by Dr. Tsing." He said, grabbing me and dragging me towards the exit. "After all, cuts can get infected...especially if they are from, oh, shall we say, a bullet?"

"I'm fine, really." I told him, digging my heels into the ground. My shoes slipped uselessly on the concrete, offering no traction. "It's just a scratch."

"Well, we will get the origin sorted out, and then solve the problem." Cage insisted, continuing to drag me to the door. "Then we won't have anymore of you getting hurt."

I was just about to consider drastic measures for escape when Maya walked into the dorm.

"What is going on?" She asked.

"I was just escorting Ms. Kane to the infirmary. Dr. Tsing needs to take a look at the cut on her arm."

I glanced at Maya and frantically tried to convey that I needed help with just my eyes. Fortunately she read the situation and jumped in.

"No need, I already looked at the cut. It didn't need any treatment."

Cage looked back and forth between the two of us as if not quite believing his bad luck.

"And actually, Maya, you are just the person I was looking for. Jasper is awake. He was hoping to see you." I told her, extracting myself from Cage's grip.

"Let's head there now then." She said through a tight smile.

"Until next time." I told Cage, sauntering away.

"I can't wait." Cage replied quietly, but not quietly enough that I didn't hear the malice of a threat in his words that sent my blood running cold.

Back in Jasper's recovery room, I was pleased to see he was dressed and out of bed! Maya ran up and gave him a big hug, which had him blushing until his ears turned red. He had played the role of hero and it had really paid off. After all, he had saved the girl who he had professed to love and there was something so sweet about that. Or at least there was until Maya held up a notepad with a message which confirmed every fear Clarke had had about this place. I shared a look with Monty and saw the trepidation written across his face.

THE BREACH WASN'T AN ACCIDENT stood boldly printed across Maya's notebook as she signalled that we would be being watched and listened to.

"Where is Harper?" I asked, acting natural.

"She went to go get some sleep in a non-medicinal bed." Monty laughed. "Can't say I blame her."

"The sheets do smell a bit strongly of bleach." I laughed, as we followed Maya and Jasper into a restricted room which I hadn't noticed yet.

"We can talk freely here." Maya said, interrupting our small talk."But we don't have long."

"What do you mean it wasn't an accident?" Jasper asked, looking at Maya with worry.

"She means they exposed her on purpose, probably to get you to agree to be her blood brother, am I right?" Monty asked. I had never seen him so angry.

"Yes, but I didn't know about it. I swear!" Maya said quickly.

"I knew it." Monty seethed. "Clarke was right about this place."

"Monty, shut up." Jasper cut in. "Why would they do this, Maya?"

"Because the standard treatment sucks compared to you!"

"Do I even want to know what the standard treatment is?" I asked, dread pooling in my stomach.

"I think you need to know." Maya gulped, opening another door inside the small room where we were standing.

What was on the other side was worse than anything I could have imagined. Suddenly it all made sense: What I had seen with Lincoln, the quick recovery of the exposed guard, the words 'harvest chamber' linked in with the electricity for the medical bay… The walls were lined with cages stacked at least 5 high. Cages were even suspended from the ceiling. And in each cage was a person. A grounder. They were stripped down to their underwear, stuck like animals. Their cries echoed throughout the room as we looked on in horror.

"We have to help them!" I cried. "This isn't human! This is...this is…"

I didn't even have the words.

"Who else knows about this?" Monty asked.

Shame coated Maya's voice as she replied. "Everyone. But we learn not to talk about it. Not to ask. Look, without the treatments we'd die, ok? What are we supposed to do?"

"And that makes it alright? By god, these are people. I don't care for the grounders personally, but this…" I gestured. "This is….it's disgusting. These are people." I repeated, shaking my head.

"Tara, lay off." Jasper said, pulling Maya into a protective hug. "You heard her. They would die without the treatments."

"So that makes it ok to treat people like animals? Worse than animals, actually. Treat people just like fucking bloodbags?"

"I'm sure they wouldn't do it if there was another way." Jasper insisted. I fumed, but bit my tongue on replying just yet.

"What were we supposed to do?" Maya asked again.

"Die." Monty cut in. "Why are you showing us this now?"

"Because I'm afraid."

"Of?" I asked, still simmering in anger.

"That you're next."

The words chilled me as I gazed out at the people trapped in cages, with barely enough space to move their limbs.

"We need to leave." Monty said.

"I agree. Dante said we could leave. So that is what we do." I added.

"He was lying." Jasper cut in. "He knew we'd be too scared to leave, just like he knew I would do whatever it took to save Maya."

"So we don't ask. When have we ever let a stupid thing like 'permission' stand in our way?" Monty said.

"You'll never make it. Ever since Clarke got out, and there was that breach in the basement, security is through the roof." Maya's voice quivered, sounding near tears.

"We have to try!" I told her. "It's either that or start lining up for the chopping block."

"I'm not leaving." Jasper said. "We can't leave the other's behind. So unless your plan includes a way to smuggle out 47 of us...I'm staying."

I frowned in concentration, frantically trying to think up a solution.

"Well what's your plan then?" Monty asked Jasper.

"We volunteer. We donate our blood and give treatments. Until Clarke figures out a way to rescue us." Jasper said.

"I am not volunteering." I told him, firm in my resolve. "I'll stay to get our friends out. And the grounders if we can. But I won't keep these people alive to torture more people just for the sake of surviving."

"You don't know what it's like." Maya said. "We need the treatments. Radiation poisoning is worse than death."

"Ok, fine. You need the treatments." I told her. "But why do you need treat the grounders like this? You know, both Dante and Cage call the grounders 'savages', but honestly, I was treated better as a prisoner in their camps than you treat them, and that is saying something because they fucking tortured me!"

"I mean...you could give them proper standing room. Facilities? Clean water? You have all of that! You could try not killing them by draining their blood but using multiple sources? I'm not a doctor, but by god. Nothing can justify this cruelty." I continued fuming.

Maya seemed speechless, and I felt almost bad. After all, it wasn't her fault. But the fact that these people were all aware of this horror and did nothing...it really set my teeth on edge. Storming out of the room, I walked blindly to the dorms. I wasn't going to 'volunteer', but I would watch over my friends. That afternoon Jasper took the sign-up sheet to Dante and Dr. Tsing came and got Monty.

"We'll give him lots of anaesthesia." She told me, smiling. I didn't return the smile. It was all I could do not to punch the smile right off her face. The testing went on for days. Taking blood, taking test subjects, people stabbing my friends with needles.

"I can't go on like this." Harper said, sitting on the side of her bunk. She was holding a metal bucket and dry heaving into it. I sat beside her and smoothed the hair away from her face.

"You don't have to keep doing it." I told her, offering her a cool cloth. She took it gratefully and pressed it against the back of her neck.

"You heard Jasper. It's either this or the cages."

I frowned. "I'm not in a cage."

Harper considered this. "You're right." Her skin was waxy and pale, but she managed to get to her feet. I stood up and followed her as she made her way over to Miller, Monty and Jasper.

"I am un-volunteering." Harper told Jasper, swaying on her feet. I gestured for her to sit down and she flopped down on the bed beside Monty.

"Un-volunteering? No, guys, C'mon!" Jasper said, looking at Harper. "We just have to hold out until Clarke gets here."

"What if she isn't going to get here." Monty pointed out. "What if she never escaped. What if...what if it is just a story they are telling us to cover up the fact that they killed her."

Miller considered this. "Then let's escape. I'd rather die trying to get out than be bled to death complacently."

"No." Jasper said. "We find out the truth."

"About Clarke?" I asked.

"Yes."

"And then we escape." I told him. "We will figure it out. But to get the truth, and the figure out the way out...we are going to need access to Dante's office."

Milled reclined on his bed, a wicked smile stretching across his face for the first time in days. "Well, it's a good thing we are all a bunch of criminals then."

I grinned in return.

"Monty has been teaching me how to pickpocket." I told the small group.

"I'll get a guard badge. That will get us on the floor. Anyone know how to pick a lock?" I asked.

"Please." Miller scoffed. "You insult me."

I got up and walked to the hallway, heading towards the mess hall. There were always guards present there, and it was easy to bump into one.

"Whoops, sorry." I said to the khaki uniformed man, as my fingers slipped in and snagged his badge. Smiling at my success, I nearly skipped back to the dorm room until the guard called Emerson emerged in the distance with Cage Wallace by his side.

My smile turned to a frown as I palmed the badge, hiding it in my hand. I saw Miller stick his head out into the hallway, and threw him a look indicating I needed help. He came and collected the badge from me as we had a brief conversation about the food for lunch. My nerves were not set at ease as I notice throughout this conversation Emerson and Cage didn't move on, but rather appeared to be waiting. I didn't doubt it was for me.

"If I'm not at the...event… go on without me." I told Miller, sending him on his way. Plucking up my courage I continued towards the dorm.

"I notice you are the only one of the 47 abstaining from volunteering." Cage said as I approached.

"Yeah, well…" I shrugged. "I have this thing about needles. You know...pointy." I mimicked a wince and Cage rolled his eyes. He glanced around and noticing that the hallways was empty, he nodded to Emerson. Emerson pulled out a cloth, and even from where I was standing I could smell the sweet heavy stench of chloroform.

"What are…" I tried to turn and back away, but the cloth came down over my mouth and nose, muffling my question and eventually my scream. I fought against the guard, but his hand gave no quarter. I tried holding my breath but eventually my burning lungs gave out, and inhaled the sticky sweet scent.

"You're going...I'm going...You'll...regret…" I mumbled out, as the cloth was removed and my vision became black around the edges. I felt my knees give out, and strong arms catch me before I hit the ground.

"Come on, now, Tara." I heard Cage say as I was dragged down the hallway. "Everyone has to do their part." Darkness ate away at my vision as my legs flopped uselessly behind me.

"Just...I'm…you..." And then, I knew nothing at all.


	18. Coup de Grace (Part 1)

I awoke shivering. Cold bit at my skin and I had a killer headache. I groaned, not wanting to open my eyes as the events came back to me. Stupid, stupid, Tara, I thought to myself. I should have seen it coming. I had risked it, not thinking Cage would be bold enough to abduct me in broad daylight...well, as daylight as you could get in an underground bunker. At least I hadn't dragged Miller down with me. I had no doubt in my mind that Emerson and Cage would have grabbed him too. A shiver wracked my body, and I couldn't bear the unknown any longer. I opened my eyes. My warm cardigan was gone, as were the rest of my clothes. Instead, I was left in white gauzy underwear, and a similar wrapping around my chest. I recognized it as the "clothing" they put the grounders in when they were in the harvest chamber. I wasn't in a cage though. At least not yet, so I supposed that was a blessing. I went to lift my arms to hug some warmth into myself, only to find them restrained. My head fought to clear itself from the haze of the chloroform as it finally dawned on me where I was and panic took over in a heartbeat. I was in the room where they had kept Lincoln. I was in the same chair. The electric chair. I tugged furiously against the restraints. The chains holding the leather cuffs that secured my wrists rattled violently against the chair, but I couldn't get them to loosen in the slightest. Just then, as if disturbed by the racket I was making, the door opened and Cage Wallace walked in.

"Don't go wasting all your energy, just yet." He smiled. "You may need it."

"You'll pay for this." I hissed at him, voice shaking with a mix of anger and fear. I had never felt so helpless as I did in that moment. "Let me go."

"Do you really think anyone is missing you?" He asked.

"I know they are." I pulled against the restraints once more and he sighed, pressing a buzzer in his hand that I didn't even notice. Electricity shot through my body, and I screamed. It lasted for only a moment, but the effects stayed with me. I felt like my nerves were super sensitive to any external stimuli.

"Everyone has been made aware that you were responsible for the breach in the basement." Cage continued, as tears leaked from the corners of my eyes. "As far as they know, you are in our rehabilitation program. It's where we place people who break the law before we release them into our society again."

"Monty…" I managed to gasp out. "He will find me. He will know."

"Oh yes." Cage scoffed. "Your friends. Don't worry, I have a plan to take care of them. I think it will be rather expedient too."

"Don't you dare touch them." I snarled, and he grinned.

"You are ferocious, aren't you." He said, and yet, it didn't sound like a complement. "That's why I chose you, you know."

"Chose me?"

"For project cerberus."

I recalled what I had seen of Lincoln and panic filled me again. I renewed my struggle against the restraints, tugging hard enough to break skin at my wrists, chafing them raw. Cage looked on in amusement as he walked over and stood nearby, pressing the button that sent an electric charge through the chair once more. My back arched as electricity coursed through me, my scream echoing in the small room.

"Relax," He told me, stroking my hair once the shock had stopped. "In the end, I wasn't able to go through with it. Turns out your blood is much more precious. I can't taint it with my drug, as much as I would love to see you enslaved by it."

"You a sadist." I told him, voice shaking in fear. "All this time underground...the things your people have done...it's warped your mind. You've lost your humanity."

Cage shrugged, indifferent to my words.

"Here's what's going to happen." Cage said, trailing his fingers down the visible veins on my arms. My shivers intensified and it had nothing to do with the cold.

"I'm going to hook you up to the harness and bleed the fight out of you, every day." His voice was cold. "And then, once you have no fight left in you, I'm going to let you watch as I do the same or worse to your friends."

"Why?" I breathed out, choked by the horror of it all.

"My father's plan was to integrate you into our society. Mix the gene pools and hope you would pass on your radiation resistant genes." Cage replied. "But I want to go outside today. And if you won't help us willingly, I'm afraid our interests no longer align and we must take what is ours. You and your friends are the key to us ascending to our rightful place on the earth."

"You're paranoid beyond measure. All my friends were willing and are helping."

"They won't want to when they see the next stage." Cage shook his head as if accepting a sad truth.

"Which is?" I almost didn't want to know.

"You'll find out soon enough. I imagine after a few days of immense blood loss, you'll be in prime condition. After all, Dr. Tsing said that it should stimulate the marrow to produce more fresh blood cells." Cage walked to the door and signalled to the two guards outside to come into the room. One was a man in his late 30's but the other didn't look much older than me. Early 20's at most. Cage walked back over to me and reached into his jacket pocket bringing out two vials: one red and one blue.

"I'm going to release you." He said. "If you struggle or try to escape, we will be back here and," he grabbed my hair and yanked my head back, exposing my neck. He tapped it with the red vial. "If that happens, I won't care how precious your blood is. I'll turn you into a Reaper and enjoy every second of it."

He released his grip on me. "Am I clear?"

"Crystal." I said as he undid one arm band. I didn't move a muscle. Our previous conversation had made me realize he was a person who would make good on his threats.

"Good." He screwed the blue vial onto his needle gun and lined it up at my neck. "This is a mild sedative."

The needle pierced my skin and I winced as the drug shot into me.

"Don't take it personally, but I hardly trust the word of a thief."

My world got blurry, and I felt like I was floating.

"Why not just...kill me?" I asked, as the two guards hauled me to my feet.

"Dr. Tsing may have convinced me that you are more valuable as a test subject, but that doesn't mean I won't see you break first." Cage said, gripping my chin in his fingers. "And when that day comes, your sacrifice will be remembered, Tara."

I would have spit in his face, but I couldn't find the energy. In fact, I couldn't even find the energy to put one foot in front of the other as the guards hauled me off to the harvest chamber.

"Make sure the drug is out of her system before hooking her up." Cage called after us. "I won't have her tainting the blood supply."

"He really hates me." I laughed, the drug making me giddy and loose lipped. The young guard looked over and offered me a small smile.

"You have a nice smile." I told him. Clearly my mind to mouth filter was gone and I was just going to say whatever came into my head now. Great. The guard stopped smiling and looked at me with worry in his eyes, and then glanced at his companion.

"Surely there is another way?" He told him.

"It's not up to us to decide. C'mon Alex, you know this."

The young guard, Alex, I guess his name was, looked at me again.

"But she's not like the savages."

"Again, not our call." The other guard dragged me roughly forward towards the harvest room. "And that drug will be wearing off in about 10 minutes, so we have got to get her hooked up. Now quit dragging your feet."

Alex looked at me with concern but continued to usher me towards the room.

"Don't let them kill me." I whispered quietly to him. "Please, Alex, please don't let them kill me." Tears leaked from my eyes, tracing trails down my face.

"Stop talking." The other guard barked, but I saw Alex's face as he beheld me -drugged, bruised, exposed- and saw something change. Maybe he would help me out after all. Maybe, like Maya, he was not quite ready to give up on his humanity just yet.

The guards and I reached the harvest chamber and the older guard sent Alex out.

"I'll handle this myself." I guess he sensed hesitation on Alex's part and figured if he wanted the job done right, it was best to go at it alone. Alex threw one last look of regret over his shoulder and stepped out into the hall.

"Lay down on the floor." The guard instructed me. I did so, not having the energy to fight back as the drug kept me docile. He walked around and strapped my feet into leather cuffs attached to thick chains before attaching those chains to a pulley system. He cranked the handle and I felt my legs being lifted off the ground, followed by the rest of my body until I was completely suspended upside down. Dr. Tsing walked into the room and smiled, like this was all procedure. I suppose to her it was.

"I think this constant bleeding will stimulate your bone marrow production, making it more potent." She told me. "And it gives us the added bonus of your blood for treatments." She paused. "Though I wonder how our short term marrow experiments are coming." It sounded more like the was talking to herself at that point, but as the last of the drug was broken down by my system, it clicked.

"Short term?" I asked.

"Well, of course." She replied. "If short term works, there is no reason for you kids to suffer by being bled dry for a week before we extract the marrow."

It dawned on me then... they had someone else. Someone else who was the short term experiment.

"Who?"

"It is on no consequence to you now." She replied, tapping a vein in my arm. I winced as the long needle was embedded in my flesh. Blood began to flow out at an alarming rate, into the tubing and then into blood bags.

"Use those right away for active treatments." Tsing said to a nurse. "I'd hate for them to lose their potency. Take 1.6L of her blood. We can't have her dying on us just yet."

With that, they left the room, leaving me suspended, draining, alone. Well, alone except for the grounders in the cages behind me. Groaning, I tried to swing myself up and get my hands to my ankles, but the motion only left me feeling light headed and dizzy as blood continued to trickle from my arm into the bags.

"Hod op dei de! Bilaik drein au na jos flou thru faster." One whispered at me.

"I'm sorry." I told him. "I don't understand you."

"Skaikru." A girl in a cage beside him hissed. "Let em wan op." Both turned their back to me. Or they turned as much as they could in the small cage.

"I'm going to get out of here." I told them. "And then, I'm going to get you out of here."

But already the blood loss was starting to affect me, making me dizzy and weak. Hallucinations started appearing before my eyes. The black spots I could handle, but when hallucination Patrick appeared, I sort of already wished I was dead.

"Not this again." I muttered. "I didn't even eat any nuts."

"Looks like I got my wish after all." Patrick said, smiling, running his hand through his shiny blonde hair. "I guess you did get floated."

"You're not real. This is blood loss." I whispered, closing my eyes. "In fact, you're probably dead. Died on the arc."

"I may not be real, but I'm still here. You keep seeing me." Patrick squatted down and tilted his pretty head to the side. "I wonder why that is. Do you miss me?"

"Like I miss a bad cold."

"That's hurtful."

"You wanted to see me dead. You turned me in knowing what the punishment was."

"Yes." Patrick stood up. "And yet, here you are. Alive. So it looks like I failed. I was only keeping order, Tara. The law is the law."

"No, you make the law work for you. There is a difference. If I had given you the money, things would have been different."

Patrick shrugged. "I guess we'll never know." The vision of Patrick faded away and my vision faded with it. As black ringed my vision, I saw Dr. Tsing's high-heels click into view to stop the blood flow just as the darkness won, erasing everything from view.

I awoke, still suspended upside down. My ankles ached, as did my head. I guess I hadn't been passed out for long, but Dr. Tsing was gone and the only person I saw was Alex, the guard.

"I can't let you go." He whispered quietly as he lowered me to the ground, "But when you stand up, pretend to fall. I have a paperclip on the desk. Use the desk for support and grab the clip. Maybe you can escape."

A small spark of hope sprung up in my chest.

"Why are you helping me?" I whispered back, just in case someone was outside the door listening.

"What they are doing...it's wrong." He said, standing resolute. "And before, we didn't have a choice, with the grounders, but now...we do. And I want to be better. When you get out, go see Dante. He doesn't know about any of this. This is all Cage."

Standing to my feet, I collapsed near the desk, grabbing the corner to steady myself and palming the paperclip. If there were cameras, nothing about this escape would tie back to Alex. I slipped it in against my hip, and it was held in place by the gauze-like bindings.

"I'm sorry." Alex said, walking over and grabbing my arm. "But I have to make this look real." Two more guards entered the room, and Alex roughly hauled me towards the small cages.

"No, no, no." I whimpered, to weak from blood loss to really fight back.

"Does she need encouragement?" A guard asked, unfurling a shock baton. My eyes widened. I hadn't seen those here before. In fact, the only place I had seen those was on the Arc.

"No, Lovejoy, I can handle this." Alex said, shoving me into the cage and locking it. He grimaced as I had to fold my long legs in - the was barely enough room to turn around in a full circle if sitting with my knees against my chest, and certainly not enough room to stretch them out.

"Hang in there." He whispered, and my mouth quirked up in a small smile at the unintentional pun. I guess I was already starting to feel a little better. The guards left, and before I could even begin to think of escape, sleep claimed me and pulled me under.

When I awoke, I was feeling mildly better. I reached into my waistband and pulled out the paperclip and began folding it to fit into the lock. I fumbled with it for a few minutes, before cursing and trying to reshape it some more. Miller would have had this lock open in a second. The sharp metal cut into my fingertip as I tried to bend it.

"Ow, mother of…" I put my hurt finger in my mouth.

"Tara?"

A voice I hadn't realized I'd been missing called my name. Turning to the cell beside me in shock, I couldn't believe it. He wasn't dead. He had met the same fate as me. Bellamy Blake's warm brown eyes stared back at me as if not quite believing what he was seeing either.


	19. Coup de Grace (Part 2)

"You can't be here." I said, closing my eyes, hoping to block out the hallucination. "You're not real."

His warm hand reached through the bars, gently resting on my wrist.

"I'm real, Tara." Bellamy's voice was soft, as though he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. I opened my eyes again and tilted my head looking at him. His dark hair had grown longer and was in curly disarray against his olive skin.

"Bellamy, how are you here?" I asked, panic in my voice. "They'll kill you if they think you're a grounder, and do worse if they find out your with us."

"It's ok. Tara, we have a plan. Clarke needed someone on the inside." He rubbed his thumb across my wrist in a small form of comfort.

"Her plan was for you to end up in the harvest chamber?" I asked, and his expression darkened slightly.

"Not quite, but things didn't exactly go according to plan." Bellamy huffed.

"They never do." A small smile quirked the side of my mouth up. "So what's the plan?"

"Well, step 1 would be getting out of this cage."

"I might be able to help with that." I said as I handed him the paperclip. "Do you know how to pick a lock?"

Bellamy raised an eyebrow. "Never tried it."

I shrugged, "Maybe you will have more success than I did."

Bellamy fiddled with the lock for a few minutes before cursing in frustration. "It's not working."

"Damn it." I said, panic building in my chest. "That was all Alex could do for me."

"Alex?"

"The young guard. Brown hair? Green eyes?" I described him. "Maybe if he still sees me in here he will get Maya and she can help."

"How long have you been stuck in here?" Bellamy asked, his voice dangerously low.

"The harvest chamber is a new low for me in here, but the doctor said something about short-term marrow experiments, so I think they have some of our people located elsewhere." I paused in worry. "I don't know who, but if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it was people close to me. Monty. Harper."

"Why them?"

"Because Cage Wallace, the man in charge of security, has taken a very personal interest in making my life a living hell." I sighed.

Bellamy's face darkened. "Not for much longer." His words were a promise and I felt a small amount of the anxiety in my chest release. I gave him a small smile as he continued to hold my hand for comfort. Just then, the door opened and two guards walked in, neither of whom was Alex, and Cage followed behind them. Hastily, I let go of Bellamy.

"They can't know who you are." I whispered urgently. "They can't know you know me."

Cage wasn't close enough to hear the words, but he did see the exchange, and his mouth twisted up in a cruel smirk.

"Making friends?" He asked. "I wouldn't have thought them much for conversation."

"Anyone is better than you." I snarled back. He sighed, but the smile never left his face.

"Good to see the fire is still there, Tara." He said, signalling for the guards to open the cage. "I'd hate for this to be over too quickly." Beside me, Bellamy's knuckles were white as his hands were clenched into tight fists. I slid back to the far corner of my cage, but it wasn't far enough to escape the hands that grabbed my ankles and pulled me forward and out. I collapsed on the cold concrete floor, struggling to push myself into a standing position after being confined for so long.

"Search the container." Cage said, and the guards began looking through the small space, testing the bars for any looseness, or small hiding places.

"In case you didn't notice, it's not exactly like I've got a treasure chest in there." I spit. "What are you even looking for?"

Cage grabbed a shock baton from one of the guards, and unfurled it, holding the point just below my chin.

"I checked the tapes and saw you stumble." Cage replied. "I hope you haven't forgotten our little deal. I've got the red vials ready to go."

I backed away from the shock baton slowly, but Cage kept it's point nearby.

"So I'm not allowed to stumble?" I snarled. "I'd like to see you try and walk after being nearly drained dry."

"Nothing here, boss." The guard said. Cage looked at me with apprehension.

"Search her."

"Boss?"

"You heard me. Search her. If she has a means of escape, I want to know about it. I won't be made a fool of." Cage hissed. The guard grabbed me, and I saw Bellamy lean forward, anger written across his face. I hoped he had ditched the paperclip - dropped it out of the cage or something. It was of no use to us anyways, since neither of us could pick a lock. Cage noticed the small action, and his eye's caught Bellamy's.

"Let go." I told the guard, shaking my arm free. "I've got nothing, as you can clearly see."

"He seems rather taken with you." Cage said to me, indicating with his head towards Bellamy.

"Never seen him before in my life." I lied, evading the guard once again.

"Stand still." He said.

"Use a metal detector." I retorted. "I'll be damned if I'm letting any of you lay a hand on me."

The other guard sighed and pulled out a metal detector, scanning it over my scantily clad body.

"She's clean, boss." He said to Cage. Cage was, however, still eyeing up Bellamy and Bellamy was clearly seething.

"Do you speak English?" Cage asked Bellamy, who was smart enough to not respond.

"Interesting." He said, taking the shock baton. Without warning, he hit it against the back of my legs, causing me to collapse on the ground with a scream.

"Stop!" Bellamy shouted.

"So you do speak English."

Bellamy nodded, anger radiating off him in waves.

"How do you know her?" Cage gestured to me with the shock baton again. "And don't bother saying you don't know her. I can see it in your eyes that you care."

"I saw her at the grounder camp when she was prisoner there." Bellamy spit out. I was amazed at how he was able to think of such a quick lie, considering few people even knew I was at the grounder camp. Maybe Clarke had told him. I paused, thinking. Or maybe Murphy had managed to escape after all. Cage sighed, clearly disappointed.

"Pity." He hauled me to my feet and shoved me back towards the cage, where the guards shoved me inside and locked it. "Guess you're just another savage after all."

"Let me out of this cage and I'll show you." Bellamy retorted. Cage just smiled.

"Drain him next. He clearly is far to energetic."

Panic flitted across my face, "What? No! Don't! Please, don't!"

Cage paused, turning back to me. "You care about him too." I realized my mistake the moment I opened my mouth. I had just given him more to use against me. More ways to hurt me.

"Why would you care about a filthy savage who tortured you?" Cage asked, leaning against my cage as though he didn't have a care in the world.

"He's not the one who's torturing me." I glared. Cage just shrugged.

"Drain him. Make sure she is watching." He left the room, the guards following to relay his orders to Dr. Tsing.

"I take it that is Cage Wallace?" Bellamy huffed.

"The one and only." I replied, hugging my knees. "So what is the rest of this plan after you get free?"

Bellamy quickly laid out the plan, including the fact that we were now allied with the grounders.

"Clarke managed that?" I asked, impressed.

"Yes, but it had a price." Bellamy's voice was heavy. The grounder girl beside Bellamy was paying attention to his words as well. Her interest had been peaked when he mentioned that we were now allies.

"Lexa is a great commander. Whatever the price was, you were right to pay it." She snarled. Though her words sounded friendly, her tone did not.

"I need to get out of this cage." Bellamy said softly, indicating he had heard her, but that he didn't quite agree.

"And then what." She asked. "We are still trapped."

"And then I kill everyone in this goddamn mountain." Bellamy replied, resolution firm in his voice. The girl nodded, and then turned her back, reclining against the bars that faced Bellamy.

"So there are survivors?" I asked, voice hesitant. I wasn't quite sure if I was ready to hear bad news on top of the last few days I'd been having. My worry for Monty and Harper was eating me alive.

Bellamy nodded. "Your dad is on the ground."

I felt like I'd taken a punch. All the air left me and I couldn't quite believe the news he had just said.

"Wha-at?" My voice broke.

"He's fighting like hell to get you back." Bellamy smiled softly, and then his face darkened again. "Patrick is alive too."

Just like that, the feeling of elation I had sunk to the bottom of my stomach like a millstone. Bellamy noted my expression of distress because he reached through the bars again and grabbed my hand.

"If it makes you feel better, I punched him in the face. Broke his nose."

A mangled laugh escaped me, and I was surprised to find that, yes, that _did_ make me feel better.

"How come?" I laughed mirthlessly.

"He had the nerve to say you deserved to be where you are, so why should we waste good manpower searching for you." Bellamy snarled, the memory making him see red all over again.

"Of course he did." I replied, feeling empty inside. What did I ever see in that guy?

"Quiet!" The girl beside Bellamy hissed. "They're coming!"

The two guards who had been here previously, Lovejoy and Alex, entered the room with Dr. Tsing following.

"Him." She said, pointing at Bellamy. Bellamy viciously kicked the cage door as Lovejoy went to open it, causing it to swing back and hit him in the face.

"Oh, a live one!" Lovejoy said, reaching for his shock baton. Alex stayed behind him, looking at me with a question in his eyes. _Why was I still here?_

I shook my head indicating that it hadn't worked to pick the lock. He frowned and then looked back at me, a resolution in his eyes that I feared would get him into trouble.

"Get Maya." I mouthed to him, while Dr. Tsing injected Bellamy with the same sedative they had given me previously. He nodded almost inpercebibly.

Bellamy was yanked up off the floor and left to dangle as blood flooded out of his system and into the pumps in the wall. The sedative had worn off before the blood flow started and I saw him try the same thing I had done. Swinging forward, he tried to reach his ankles, but the girl in the cage opposite him cursed and looked at me.

"Are all sky people so stupid?!" She muttered and then shouted at Bellamy. "Stop moving. You are just making the blood flow faster. You'll go unconscious before you free yourself."

Bellamy stopped moving, but I could already see that the exertion had taken its course and he was looking dizzily out across the room at the door. It felt like hours, but in reality, it was only about 15 minutes until I saw Maya walk into the room.

"Tara?" she asked, rushing to my cage.

"Get him down!" I motioned to Bellamy. "He's one of us."

Maya wasted no time unhooking his heart monitor, and she had just finished lowering him to the ground when Lovejoy walked back into the room.

"Maya?" He looked taken aback. "You're not cleared for this facility."

"I know, but I saw that Karen's treatment went quickly, and I wondered what was so special about this one…" she fumbled for an excuse, "but...he's dead!"

Lovejoy glanced at the heart rate monitor and raised his eyebrows.

"So he is." He reached down and undid the chains on Bellamy's feet. "You know, you're a brave girl, coming in here…"

Lovejoy never got to finish that sentence, as Bellamy was on his feet in an instant, throwing an elbow that caught Lovejoy in the jaw.

"Aaagh!" He screamed, as Bellamy jumped at him. Lovejoy drew his gun, kicking a booted foot into Bellamy's stomach. He landed on the ground and pushed himself backwards, away from the firearm.

"On your feet, ON YOUR FEET." Lovejoy bellowed. Maya grabbed a scalpel and drove it into the base of Lovejoy's neck. He cried out in pain, dropping the gun, which she grabbed. She pointed it at Lovejoy.

"Stop!" She cried.

"No!" Bellamy groaned as he wrestled for control against the uniformed man.

"They'll hear!"

Maya stood, looking unsure of what to do, while the two men fought.

"Maya." I waved her over. "Let me out!"

Pale faced and shaking, she undid the lock on my cage and helped me out, just as Bellamy finished choking the life out of Lovejoy.

"You ok?" He asked Maya, and she nodded hesitantly. He turned to me. "You?"

"Golden."

Quickly, the three of us stripped the body and Bellamy dressed in the guard uniform.

"Maya, I need clothes." I told her, and she nodded, still seeming slightly numb. She was back in a moment, carrying my leggings, T-shirt and cardigan, as well as an old baseball hat.

"I've cut the camera's in here, but the ones in the hallway are still working." She told me, giving me the hat. I pulled it on, pulling it low to my eyes. Hopefully it would stop anyone from recognizing me on camera.

Bellamy drew himself up to his full height, looking down at Maya. "You've done enough. You should get somewhere safe."

"You don't know where you are going." Maya replied, a note of stubborness in her voice.

"But I do." I told her. "You can walk away from this. You don't need to be involved."

She turned to me, eyes hard. "I've turned away long enough. It's _time_ to be involved."

She shrugged. "Besides, I know where the radio is."

"Good, because I'll need to reach that." Bellamy said, voice gruff. He was dressed head to toe in the khaki uniform of the guard.

"First we need to cut out your tracking chip." Maya said, lifting the scalpel. Bellamy let her do it without complaint, placing the chip in his cage.

"Monty and Harper are missing." Maya told me. "I'd hoped I'd find them in here with you, but Alex didn't mention them."

"We need to see the others." Bellamy said sharing a look with me.

"The dorm is on the way to the radio." Maya said, leading us out of the harvest chamber.

"I'll go find Monty and Harper." I told Bellamy, about to step into a side hallway when he grabbed my arm and pulled me back. He looked like he was going to argue with me for a moment, before releasing his anger in a frustrated breath of air. "Be safe."

I couldn't help but smile wickedly at him. I guess he had gone through some growth outside these walls.

"You know I always am."

He looked at me skeptically, before releasing me. "We'll meet at the dorm."

I hurried off down the hallways, trying to calm my frantic heart. By my calculations I had been stuck as a prisoner/lab rat for about 3 days. Who knew what they had done to Harper and Monty in that time. Just thinking about it made me feel sick to my stomach. Overhearing familiar voices, I ducked into a supply cupboard.

"Tell me Dr. Tsing was working alone." Dante snarled at his son as the pair stepped into the hallway, flanked by guards. Oh no. Peeking out the small space left by the door, I saw them stop a few steps away.

"I can't do that." Cage shook his head. "We've accomplished great things."

"You've accomplished nothing. I let those poor kids go. And now I'm going to release them back to their people. Where they will be safe. From you." I had never seen Dante so angry, but I was relieved to hear that he had found Monty and Harper. "You're a stain on our legacy."

Cage laughed. "What legacy? We bleed people to survive. I want to get us onto the ground. No cost is too high for that."

"This one is." Dante shook his head and then nodded to the guards. "Arrest him."

I couldn't stop the smile that split across my face. Finally, things were starting to go the way they should. Order was being restored. Until...nothing happened.

"Arrest him." Dante repeated, but Cage just shook his head side to side, like he was the only one in on the cosmic joke the universe was playing.

"They take their orders from me now." Cage said. "Everyone wants to go to the ground. Can you blame them? Take my father into quarantine."

I felt my blood run cold. Cage Wallace was in control. Now the blood would really start to flow.

"Lock the kids in the dorm. It's time to go to stage 2." Cage said, continuing his walk down the hallways as his father was dragged away. I needed to get to the dorm. In fact, I needed to get Bellamy out of the dorm before they recognized him for what he was. I waited for Cage to turn the corner before opening the door to my hiding place and sprinting to the elevator. I caught it just it time, and was thrilled to see there was no one else on it. Rushing into the dorm, I saw Monty and Harper both looking like they had been through hell and back.

"Tara?" Monty sounded like he couldn't quite believe it was true.

"We need to get the hell out of here, right now!" I told them, giving them the brief of what was happening.

"We're already packed." Harper said, gesturing to the bags by the bunks.

"Where's Bellamy?" I asked and Monty nodded his head over to indicate the "guard" who was standing in the corner. I walked over as fast as I could without gathering unwanted attention.

"Cage just arrested Dante." I told him. Beside him, Maya looked terrified by that news and I didn't blame her. It had shaken me to my core as well.

"We need to get to that radio." She muttered, heading to the door. "C'mon."

The three of us stepped out into the hallway just as the alarm went off. "I don't think that's a good sign." I groaned. Bellamy glanced over his shoulder and saw a troop of guards coming, led by the infamous Dr. Tsing.

"Don't look back." He told me. "If they recognize you, we're screwed."

I nodded, following Maya, even though my heart was in my throat. Monty, Harper and Jasper were still in the dorms. Everyone was still in the dorms. And now Cage was in control. Maya led us to a wall with a picture, which she pulled down to reveal the huge hole and hidden radio.

Bellamy made contact with Clarke and I could hear the relief in her voice. Her plan had been a risky one.

"So what's the plan, Clarke?" I asked, grabbing the radio from Bellamy. "We're running out of time here."

If she could hear the frantic energy in my voice she didn't acknowledge it. "We're attacking from two fronts. Outside...and inside. The grounder army inside of Mount Weather."

"A trojan horse." Bellamy smiled. "Is it doable?" He asked turning to Maya. She nodded.

"But we're going to need some time." Bellamy said into the radio, grabbing it back from me. "Can you buy us that?"

A pause filled the air.

"I'll keep them looking outwards instead of inwards." Her response crackled over the radio.

My eye's met Bellamy's and I saw my own worry mirrored there. "Good, because we are going to need all the time we can get." I told them. With that, we rehung the painting and took off into the hall.

"I guess it's time to wreck a little havoc." Bellamy grinned and turned to me. "You wouldn't happen to have found out where they keep their defense systems? The acid fog?"

My mouth twitched up at the side. "No, but I know where we can figure it out. Maya, can you keep an eye on the dorms? Let us know what they are doing to our friends?" She nodded and took off the other way.

"So where are we going?" Bellamy asked me.

"Into hell." I let out a little laugh. "Also known as the security office of Cage Wallace."


	20. Rubicon

The dust in the air vents was choking. I took shallow breaths through my nose, trying to avoid sneezing, as that would give away our position. Cage may have welded the vent access in the dorm room shut, but Bellamy and I weren't in the dorms. At least, we weren't any more. Earlier, we had split up. Me, to get rubber soled shoes and gloves from the training room, and Bellamy to check on how things were progressing in the dorm. From his bleak description we had even less time than we thought. Sighing, I pulled my cap lower on my head, and peered out of the vent that looked into the security office. Beside me, Bellamy shuffled closer, holding the com button on the walkie talkie Maya had given us. At least now we could report our actions without having to get back to the hallways and remove the painting.

In the office outside, there were three guards, but Cage Wallace was nowhere in sight.

"We need to split up." I told Bellamy. "You need to find Cage and figure out what he is up to. I'll get the information on the whereabouts of the acid fog."

Bellamy shook his head. "The minute I let you go down there, you're as good as dead. They are killing our people, Tara."

"You think I don't know that?" I whispered, anger colouring my voice. "I've been living the damn nightmare. But we can't help our friends if we don't take risks."

"And how are you going to take out three trained guards?" Bellamy hissed. I rolled my eyes.

"I've been training…"

"Right." He sounded skeptical. I admit, I wasn't sure my odds were good, but hey, at least I would have surprise on my side. Raven's voice cut through the walkie.

"I can create a distraction from this end. Make it look like a radiation leak. Their defence information might be locked up tight, but their alarm system isn't."

I grinned. "I've got this. I'll meet you back here in half an hour. Besides, you have Raven to guide you. I know these vents already. Not to mention we both have earpieces so we can communicate via Raven."

"Half an hour." Bellamy conceded. "Don't make me come looking for you." I shook my head with mild annoyance as he shoved his way past me in the vent. The stress of the situation was putting us both on edge. Moments after Bellamy had disappeared around a bend, an alarm tore through the security room, clearing it out.

"Thank you, Raven." I grinned as I got to work loosening the vent. Hopping nimbly out, I ran to the computer. In the haste to get out of the _irradiated_ room, the computers had thankfully been left unlocked. That would save me a lot of time when it came to finding what I needed.

"Acid fog, acid fog." I muttered to myself, forcing myself to bypass clicking on various folders, including the medical ones. My self control was doing fine until I came across a file with Monty's name on it. I paused, checking my watch. I had 20 minutes. I debated it for a few more seconds before my curiosity won, and I clicked opened the file. What I saw inside made me wish I hadn't.

Video clips of marrow drilling, and hearing the screams of my friend made me want to be ill. Nausea and horror tore at me until I had to click away. Hearing what had been done to Monty and Harper had been one thing, but seeing it? I was going the make the mountain men pay. For all of it. I closed the file, wishing I could bleach the images of the blood and gore from my eyes, and clicked through some more until I found the schematics for the acid fog deployment. I had just started copying them down when Raven's voice crackled to life in my ear com.

"Tara, we have a problem. You still in the command office?" Ravens sounded anxious, and immediately, I felt that anxiety spread to me.

"Yes. What's the problem? What can I do to help?"

"You were right to send Bellamy after Cage. Tara, they're going to drop a bomb on TonDC. Can you change the coordinates from there?"

"A bomb?!" I shook my head in disbelief. Had these people learned nothing? I clicked through quickly, noting that I only had minutes left before the decontamination crew would be here to assess the supposed radiation leak.

"Got it." I told Raven, pulling up the information. "But Raven, this device is archaic. Only the launch codes are done through the remote system from the looks of it. The coordinates need to be punched in manually."

"Shit!" Raven swore. "Ok. Clarke is on her way to TonDC now. She will warn them to evac."

"What if she doesn't get there in time?" I asked. "Who of our people is in TonDC?"

A pause.

"You dad is there."

My world tilted on its axis.

"Wha-at?" My voice cracked.

"Look, I know you're worried for him, but Clarke will come through. She always does. He will be fine. Just find Bellamy and focus on getting that fog down." Raven's voice came through steady and reassuring, but it didn't ease the worry gnawing at my heart. I had just found out my Dad was alive, and now I was learning he was going to die. Again. I frantically finished sketching the schematics of the acid fog generator and climbed back into the vent.

"I'm going to change the coordinates manually." I told Raven through the headset. "You're going to have to walk Bellamy through neutralizing the fog."

"What? Tara, I can only help so much. Clarke will get there. They will be fine!"

"They?" I asked, tension building.

"Octavia is there too."

"That settles it then. I'll find the missile and change the coordinates." My resolve was firm.

"Tara, the place will be crawling with guards. Stick with Bellamy and get the fog down!"

"Sorry Raven, I can't just sit and do nothing. I have to try."

With that, I turned the small dial on the earpiece off, effectively muting all attempts to change my mind. I dropped the sketched schematics of the acid fog generator and the location of it in the spot where I was supposed to meet Bellamy, and crawled through the vents without bothering to look back. The last thing I needed was another person trying to change my mind. And if he wasn't going to try and change my mind because it might save Octavia, he would understand I needed to get to the bomb as quick as possible. I increased my pace through the vents, sweat dripping from my head, until I found the room I was looking for. It was just as bad as Raven has imagined. Near the missile were at least 10 guards, and of course, Cage was there as well.

"Of course he would want to do this personally." I muttered, peering through the slats in the vent. From my slightly higher vantage point, I could see the timer set for 20 minutes. Cage was holding a walkie, listening to one of his men report on the other end.

'Last target just arrived." A voice crackled through, and Cage nodded.

"Prime the missile."

A khaki suited guard knelt down and punched in a code, starting the countdown of the large bomb. I flipped the dial on my earpiece back on and began to talk to Raven.

"They've just primed it and it is counting down." I told her.

"Can you do anything to stop it?" She asked.

"If I had longer than 20 minutes, maybe, but it's locked with a code."

"The coordinates are likely locked in too then." I heard a masculine voice chime in from Raven's end of the walkie.

"I know that, Wick. But unless you have the code, could you try doing something helpful?"

"How's it going with Bellamy and the acid fog?" I asked while I peered out into the room, hoping to form a plan quickly.

"We're walking him through it." Raven replied.

"Good." I spied a familiar guard in the room and smiled to myself. Alex. "Because I think I have a plan for the missile."

I guess she heard the smile in my voice, because she replied, "Do I even want to hear this?"

"Probably not. If you don't hear from me in an hour, you can assume I've been caught and let Bellamy know."

"At least he can't shoot the messenger." Wick chimed in. I turned off my earpiece and crawled away from the vent, exiting the vent systems in the hallways right outside the room with the missile. I ducked into a supply closet hoping to see a spare guard uniform, but sadly, as usual, luck was not on my side. The door from the room opened, and the guard called Emerson emerge. Quickly, I glanced around the supply cupboard and was pleased to see a pile of rags. I grabbed one, and a metal dustpan, and stepped out of the room.

"Hey, remember me?" I asked, starling him into turn around. As he began to turn I swung the dust pan with all my might, hitting him in the sweet spot just behind the ear. He collapsed to the ground, moaning, and I hit him once more just for good measure before grabbing the rag and shoving it in his mouth, so if he woke up early, at least he couldn't scream for help. Groaning, I hooked my arms under his and dragged his prone body back to the supply cupboard, where I stripped him down, tied him up, and put on his uniform myself. It was slightly too big, so I tucked it into the pants as best I could, and tightened the belt so the pants wouldn't slip down. I was thankful that I was tall, so at least the uniform didn't swim on me.

"Let's see how well you handle being knocked out and stripped." I asked the unconscious man on the floor. Not surprisingly, he didn't answer. I ripped the identifying name tag off and slipped it in my pocket, before stepped out of the closet and heading into the room with the bomb. I kept my eyes down, heading to where I had seen Alex in the room earlier. By my estimate there was about 15 minutes before the bomb jetted out of here killing hundreds of innocent people. Cage was in the room with me, which was far from ideal, but I hoped that maybe he would be so caught up in his murderlust he wouldn't notice one strange guard in a slightly too big uniform. Anxiety was fizzing in my veins, but I took a deep breath and looked up from the ground, until I saw Alex standing a few feet away from the bomb, his green eyes tainted with worry. I started picking my way toward him, keeping my steps slow and sure to not attract any unnecessary attention when he looked up and saw me. His eyes widened only a fraction in surprise before he tilted his head to the side towards a door, indicating me to change my path and meet him there. I glanced at my watch. 13 minutes until launch. I walked to where Alex had indicated and stepped into the room, which turned out to be a washroom. I grinned at his ingenuity. No one would question why we had gone in here! He entered behind me a few moments later.

"Tara, what are you doing here?! You need to get out! If Cage finds you…" He shook his head like he couldn't even bring himself to say it.

"I know, but the bomb!" I told him. "They're going to drop it on TonDC. There are children there! My Dad is there!"

"So you're just going to walk up and change the coordinates?" Alex asked. "They're locked in with Cage's personal code."

"I know, which is why I want to get him to change them personally."

"How are you going to manage that?"

"You have a man on the ground right? Someone who gave you the coordinates for the bomb?"

Alex nodded.

"How is he communicating?"

"Through a closed channel. To the walkie's."

"So you have a walkie on you?"

"Yes." He handed it over and I pried the back off. 7 minutes left until the launch, I crossed the wires, and changed the channel, creating a private line, similar to the one Raven and I had been using.

"You're an electrician?" Alex raised his eyebrows, seeming shocked.

"Why is that so hard to believe?" I laughed slightly, focussing on my work.

"I just took you for more of a 'guns and glory' type girl." He smiled, as he pushed his mop of dark brown hair out of his eyes. I grinned at him.

"Who says I'm not both?" I handed him back the radio. "Now, I'm going to relay different coordinates. This bomb cannot be allowed to drop on TonDC."

"You know I'm with you." Alex said, clipping the walkie onto his belt. "Just get out of here alive, ok?" The amount of concern and care in his voice choked me up, and before I knew what I was doing, I leaned forward and kissed him, my hand gently caressing his cheek.

"Thank you." I whispered, pulling back slightly. "Thank you for caring." I pulled back further before we could really get lost in the moment, sending him out the door into the lion's den. I left a moment later, heading for the main door, exiting into the hallways and climbing my way back into the air vents. It was a lot more challenging in the clunky guard uniform.

"Requesting change of coordinates." I gruffed into the walkie, attempting to disguise the girlish lilt of my voice. Through the slats I saw Cage grab the walkie from Alex.

"What? Why? What's happened." Even from the distance I was at I could see his snarl.

"The targets have moved. New coordinates are by west 82 degrees, 36 minutes, 1.4 seconds, over."

I saw Cage rush up to the bomb and enter his authorization code before he paused, tilted his head to the side, and clicked the button on the walkie.

"That's over 30 miles away from the original target. How did they get there so quickly?"

My words dried up in my mouth and I could see my entire plan falling apart before my eyes.

"Officer, confirm your name and badge number." The command barked through the walkie, and I began to panic. I hadn't thought to ask who the man was. I had no idea of a name, let alone a badge number. Peering into the room, I saw Cage turn to Alex.

"Who did you get this walkie from?" Cage asked him, his voice deadly cold. Of all the reactions Alex could have had, the one thing I did not expect him to do was pull a gun and level it at the chest of the man who he called president.

"That doesn't matter." Alex replied. "What matters is this. You are going to change the coordinates to what was said. 82 degrees west, 36 minutes and 1.4 seconds."

Cage tilted his head to the side and actually barked out a laugh. "Kill him."

"NO!" I cried out, and then clamped my hand over my mouth, as two other guards turned and unloaded their weapons on Alex. Bullets tore through his uniform, the bright red staining the khaki, and streaking down to the floor. He sunk to his knees, the gun falling from his hand, as the echo of my cry rang out into the room and Cage turned his head towards the vent. Alex fell over sideways, a trickle of blood running from the corner of his mouth. His cold, dead eyes gazed forward, seeing nothing. Dead. Because of me. Because of my mistake. The missile launched in the background, streaking the air with heat and light.

Pain tore through my heart, and turned to icy rage in an instant, as my gaze landed on the man who had ordered this monstrosity. The man who had ordered the missile, who had ordered the deaths of my friends, and who now had ordered the death of one of his own, simply because he didn't want to stand by and commit mass murder. Well, if death was how this was going to play out, it was time to raise the stakes. Cage had started the war, but I'd be damned if I was going to let Alex's last wish for me be for naught. Get out of here alive. I was going to do that. And I was taking my friends with me. Turning in the air vent I made my way towards the main engineering control room. Since my friends were being held on level 5, level 5 was about to become an area where only they could survive being. Prying off the vent, I hopped to the ground, pleased to see the room was empty. I turned on my earpiece.

"Raven, I need help." My voice cracked as I fought back tears and rage.

"What happened? Are you ok?" Concern was evident in her voice.

"Cage killed him." I whispered. "He killed Alex, and now, I'm going to irradiate level 5."

There was a pause before she spoke again.

"Bellamy is on his way. He knows what to do. Dante gave him the instructions."

I nodded in affirmation before realizing she couldn't see me.

"And Tara, I'm really sorry."

"I didn't even get them to change the stupid coordinates." A sob was building in my chest. "I was so close."

"Clarke will have made it in time." Raven spoke softly. "Your Dad will be fine. You did everything you could and more. No one could ask more from you."

Her words had the intended effect and I began to feel a detached calm settle over me. The only thing I could do for Alex now was fulfill his last request. To live, because now, he couldn't. A few moments later Bellamy crawled through the vent, dropping into the room.

"Well?" I asked. He shook his head. The acid fog wasn't down.

"What the hell happened?"

"I could ask you the same thing. You were supposed to be with me to get the damn thing down."

We glared at each other for a short moment.

"You're right." I conceded. The day had worn on me, and Alex's death was still fresh in my mind. Going off on my own and breaking our plan had accomplished nothing. Bellamy's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"I'm right?"

"Don't get used to it." I quipped back. "How do we irradiate level 5?"

"We need to reverse the air scrubbers and then pull that lever. It will flood the place with radiation as outside air is succed in." He laid out the plan.

Quickly, I got to work, crossing the appropriate wires to reverse the airflow.

"It's done."

Bellamy grabbed the lever and pulled.

"How will we know if it is working?" I asked. In the distance an alarm sounded.

"Oh, it's working." He gave me a rare grin. "C'mon Tara, let's go get our friends."


	21. Resurrection

We ran to the dorms, caps low over our eyes, but the commotion caused by the radiation leak was more than enough distraction to keep the eyes off us. People were screaming, tears running down their faces as they realized their loved ones were trapped on an irradiated level and were either dead or dying. Normally I would have felt sympathy, but right now my heart was just a lump of ice in my chest. Cage had killed Alex. And all he had done was try and help us. No. Try and help _me_ save my Dad. I clenched my teeth, feeling nothing but hate for this place and the people in it.

"Tara?" Bellamy asked, glancing over at me. I ignored him and kept pressing on towards the dorms.

"Tara." He repeated, grabbing my arm and stopping me.

"What!" I snapped.

"He'll pay for what he did, but right now, I need you focussed." Bellamy said, shaking me slightly.

"Oh, I'm focussed." _Focussed on killing Cage Wallace. Killing him, and then reviving him just to kill him again._

Bellamy glanced at the ceiling as though he were dealing with a particularly difficult child. The action annoyed me more than it should have.

"Look, I'm focussed, ok? Let's get our friends and get the hell out of this damned mountain. If I ever see it again, it will be too soon." I extracted my arm from his grip and continued my determined march toward the stairs. Right before the entrance to the stairs stood a little girl.

"Excuse me, ma'am." She chimed up, reaching up to tug on my sleeve. I turned to dismiss her, but paused when I saw her eyes. Green eyes. Alex's eyes. The resemblance between the two was uncanny.

"Have you seen my brother?" She asked.

"I-" My voice broke and just like that, my heart broke all over again, pain flooding in where the ice had been. I squatted down to her level to talk to her. "I haven't. But you know, I'm sure he loves you very much."

She rolled her eyes at that. "I know _that_." She smiled. "You don't think he's up there, do you?"

"No, I'm sure he's not." I told her. "Best go find your mom. Maybe she can help."

The girl ran off, her brown curls bouncing off her back as she ran. Bellamy approached and put his hand on my shoulder. In that moment, the only thing I wanted to do was lean into his comforting touch and mourn, but we didn't have time. I pulled myself to my feet.

"I'm fine." I told him. "I will be fine."

"You will." Bellamy nodded. "You're stronger than you know, Tara."

Together, the two of us climbed the stairs to level 5, holding our guns in an active shooter position. Bellamy motioned with two fingers, indicating for me to take the right side of the door when we entered. Kicking the door open, we rushed in and were relieved to see no live members of Mount Weather present.

"Tara, Bellamy, thank god." Monty rushed forward and pulled me into a tight hug. I returned it with enthusiasm.

"I'm so glad you're ok!" I told him, looking him over from head to toe.

"We won't be for much longer unless we get out of here." Bellamy said.

"There is no exit for this floor." Jasper said, shaking he head.

"Uh, guys?" Harper said, peering through the door. "Guards are coming."

"We need to secure this door." I said, releasing the clip from my gun to check how many bullets I had. It was fully loaded. 15 rounds.

"Fox is still out there." Jasper panicked. "They took her right before the breach."

I shared a look with Bellamy.

"I'll get her." Bellamy said, taking off for the stairs. "Secure this door behind me. Do NOT let anyone through."

"We can communicate through our earpieces." I told him. "Hurry."

He took off through the doors, running up the stairs just as a group of about 20 guards turned the corner from below.

"Here!" Monty shouted, handing me a piece of metal, broken off from one of the bunk beds. I threaded it through the door handles, effectively locking the doors, while Harper smashed the keypass scanner.

"This won't hold forever." She said to me, and I nodded.

"We need a barricade." Monty said. "Something easily defensible."

"We don't have long to build it…" Jasper said, looking around. I grabbed a table and flipped it over onto its side.

"No time like the present." I said, throwing more stuff onto the pile. The rest of the kids started helping and within a few moments we had constructed a semi usable barricade.

"Can we rig any quick traps?" I asked Monty. "Something that will get them to retreat quickly?"

Monty pursed his lips in thought, before his lightbulb moment.

"We're going to need water. And a lot of it." He said. Outside the guards rammed against the door. The bar holding it was going to give at any minute. Quickly I grabbed 4 of my friends and we rushed to fill buckets with water.

"Throw it on the floor by the door." Monty instructed as he pulled the smashed keycard scanner by the door off the wall. Beside us the door threatened to break as the force of whatever they were using to ram it was taking its toll on our makeshift lock.

"When they step in the water, I'll lower the wire." Monty said. I shook my head.

"I have a gun. I will be here by the door. You get behind the barricade."

"Tara, you can't…"

"Monty, I have to. I can't watch you die." _Not again_. I thought back on the horrible video footage I had seen of the experiments. His eyes were still black, and his arms covered with fading bruises and scratches. Harper looked about the same, and again I was struck by just how horrific the tortures were that the two of them had gone through. It made my time in the harvest chamber look like a vacation in comparison. But Monty looked at me with determination. His experience had not broken him. It had only reinforced his will of steel.

"We'll do it together. You shoot, I'll electrocute." He said in a tone that left no room for debate. I nodded, pressing my back against the wall by the door. Hopefully the soldiers would all rush in towards the barricade, and we could get as many as possible on the water before sending the electricity into it. I looked to Jasper and gave him a reassuring nod as he positioned himself and his gun behind the barricade.

"Remember," He told the group of poorly armed teens. "They won't kill us. That gives us the advantage."

The bar holding the door shut snapped as 10 guards, some in hazmat suits, some not, came crashing into the room. I recognized Emerson in the lead. Clearly he had found another uniform as his too big clothes were still draped over my frame.

"Now!" Jasper yelled, and Monty dropped the wire into the water. 7 of the guards in the water collapsed as electricity coursed through the water and into their systems. I took aim with my gun, but as I went to pull the trigger, the image of Alex's little sister flashed up in my mind.

 _Have you seen my brother?_

These men were brothers...fathers… I didn't want to kill them. I only wanted to kill Cage.

"TARA!" Monty yelled, pulling me to the side and snapping me out of my reverie, just as a guard had leaped to grab me. Lost in my own thoughts, I hadn't seen him coming. Shaking my head, I took aim at him, and shot him in the leg. It wouldn't be fatal, but he wouldn't be coming after us again any time soon. Pleased that I had found the middle ground in my moral dilemma, I shot 6 more times, hitting 4 more guards in the leg.

"Retreat, retreat!" Emerson shouted, running back towards the door with his men. I took aim at him, but the shot went wide. He spun around, eye's locking on me and the clothes I was wearing.

"You…" He started to say, but never got to finished the sentence as his men grabbed their wounded brethren and hurried out of the dorm.

"Quick, seal the doors!" Jasper shouted, and Monty threaded the metal beam he had been using to defend himself through the handles.

"We did it!" Came the cheers. I wanted to cheer along with them, but felt hollow inside. I had nearly been taken because of my hesitancy to kill. Maybe Bellamy was right. I needed to focus.

"Tar, you ok?" Monty asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as I sunk down to the ground.

"It's been a hell of a day." I told him, my voice breaking as I filled him in on everything that had happened. When I was done, he didn't say anything, but he wrapped me in a tight hug and held me close in a way I didn't know I needed. I was so lucky to have him as my friend. I took a deep breath allowing the small act of comfort to act as a balm to my broken heart when a voice cracked out over the radio.

"I'm speaking to the kids who just killed 10 of my men and wounded 18."

"That's Cage." I said, handing the radio to Jasper.

"I thought we'd try something a little different this time. There's only 20 minutes of oxygen in Maya's suit. I know she's a friend of yours. In 20 minutes you friend will either suffocate or burn. But you can save her, all you have to do is surrender. She's right outside the door." Cage continued. I jumped to my feet and peered out the small glass window. Outside, Maya stood in a hazmat suit looking properly terrified.

"Quick, get her in here!" I said, pulling the metal bar from the door, and ushering her in.

"Maya, are you ok?!" Jasper asked, rushing to her side. She pressed her lips together and nodded, the very picture of someone who was trying hard to be brave. Anger coursed through me and I grabbed the radio from Jasper.

"Why are you doing this?!" I hissed at Cage. "She is one of your people! How do you even sleep at night?"

"Ah, _Tara_." Cage's voice slithered. "I was wondering when I'd hear from you. Tell you what. You give yourself over to me right now, and I'll add an extra 20 minutes of oxygen to Maya's suit. Give your friends longer to decide."

I clicked the button to speak, but I was speechless. I would do it. I would have to. Jasper would never forgive me if Maya died. At least with 40 minutes instead of 20 she would stand a chance. Before I could agree, Harper grabbed the radio from my hand, shaking her head violently.

"Think about it. It won't help. We'll figure this out now. Whatever happens, we are getting out of here together." She handed the radio to Monty who took great joy in telling Cage where he could shove his extra 20 minutes.

"Listen to me." Maya said, rushing over. "Bellamy is going to smuggle more guns in through the trash chute."

"If we can get guns in, we can get out!" Jasper exclaimed, a smile spilling over onto his face, but Monty shook his head.

"I disabled the trash chute! I didn't think we'd be trying to open it ourselves."

"Can we fix it?" I asked and Monty nodded.

"Hurry!" Jasper ushered us towards the trash chute to work. "We don't have time to spare." He clutched Maya's gloved hands looking at her with love and worry.

"I won't let you surrender." She whispered to him. A faint smile touched my lips at her undeterred optimism. Maybe we would find our way through this yet.

"Screwdriver." Monty instructed, holding out his hand to Harper. She passed him a Phillips head and he immediately got to work prying off the cover. I plugged in a soldering iron and got to work mending the wires that had been cut. Even working as fast as we could it seemed like only mere moments had passed before Maya glanced at her oxygen clock and said, "19 minutes have passed."

"They'll get it open." Jasper told her before turning to us. "You'll get it open, right?!"

"Screw this." Monty said, throwing down his tools, and slicing through a blue wire at the back.

"What did you do?" I asked him, peering in.

"Cut power to the modem."

I shook my head in awe and horror. "Someone pass me a damn crowbar." I shouted. Either it would be enough for us to force the shoot or all was lost anyways. A crowbar found my hands and together Monty and I pried the door open.

"There's someone in there!" Monty shouted, and I quickly pulled my gun on the person emerging.

"Bellamy!" I exclaimed in joy!

"Quick, get her in here!" He instructed. Together we got Maya into the chute and sliding down towards non radiated air. "C'mon now, the rest of you. Go. go!"

One by one the rest of the teens slid down the trash chute, escaping the floor, until it was just Bellamy, Monty and I. I ran over and grabbed the radio from the ground where Monty had thrown it.

"20 minutes is up." Cage's voice cracked through. "And I had so hoped to appeal to your morality. I guess we're going to have to do things the hard way. Just think, Tara, you could have given her more time. You could have saved her. Unlike poor, poor Alex."

My hands clenched into fists, but Bellamy grabbed the radio away from me before I could say anything I would regret.

"What he doesn't know will definitely hurt him. Maya is alive. Focus, Tara. Live to fight another day." Bellamy looked me deep in the eye as if he could impose his will on me through sheer pressure alone. I nodded once. I was already focussed. I had learned that lesson the hard way when Monty had saved me from the guard's tackle.

"I'm with you." I released a deep breath, handing the radio to Monty. "Let's go save our friends."


	22. Bodyguard of Lies

It was a mad dash through the halls to the few spots of refuge that Bellamy and Maya had found for us. I took a moment to relish the fact that at least for now everyone was safe. For now. With our friends squirreled away in hidey-holes, Bellamy and I were pouring over a map in Maya's dad's room.

"What else do you remember from the acid fog schematics?" Bellamy asked me as we sat at the table. I took my cap off and ran my hands through my long hair. It had been bunched up under that cap for far too long now and the small refreshing gesture helped clear my mind.

"They use a fog derived from chloric acid, but it's stronger than chlorine gas." I replied forcing my mind to recall facts it would rather forget. "Likely it's a mix of chlorine gas and something stronger...possibly nitric? I don't know, Bellamy, I'm not a chemist."

"C'mon, Tara, think! How do we shut it down?" Bellamy had followed my actions, removing his cap and releasing his curls. He set his cap on the table and stood up, pacing. The pacing was not helping my concentration.

"There are a million and two ways to stall it temporarily, but we need a way to disable it completely." I told him. Maybe Raven and Wick would be more helpful.

"The question we have to ask ourselves is, what will Cage do when the fog doesn't work. What if he has more dirty tricks up his sleeves?"

Bellamy stopped pacing and turned to me, frowning deeply.

"We need to be prepared for every outcome." He replied, starting to walk again. "If there is something else we need to know about it."

At that moment, Maya's dad walked into the room carrying two mugs of tea. He handed one to Bellamy and then gave the other to me. I offered him a smile in thanks, the soothing smell of nettle and chamomile rising on the steam.

"For the nerves." He returned the smile. Behind him, Harper, Monty, Jasper and Maya followed into the room.

"You two know the vents now…" Maya's dad started to say, "But you may find this useful for getting in and out quickly." He passed Bellamy an acetylene torch. I took my mug and took a long sip from the tea.

"I can't believe you are going back out there." Harper said softly, shaking her head. Beside her, Monty gently reached for her hand. "I can't believe we are still stuck in here." She added, even quieter.

"We'll get out." I promised her. "I swear it. If it's the last thing I do, I'm going to get you out of here."

"Swear you'll get yourself out too." Monty chimed in, leveling me with a look. No doubt he was recalling my near capture in the dorms when my thoughts had run away with my common sense. I gave him a small smile.

"Cross my heart."

"Time to go." Bellamy cut in, setting his still full mug of tea on the table. I quickly drank mine down, picked up Bellamy's mug and handed the still steaming drink to Harper. If tea was good for nerves maybe it would help her.

"It ends today." I saw her resolve strengthen as she nodded once firmly.

"It ends today." She repeated back. I pulled her into a tight hug before following Bellamy out the front door to the vents.

"I can't believe I am the one saying this, but I think we need to split up." Bellamy said when I caught up to him. "You're right that we don't know what else Cage has hidden."

"I'm right?" I grinned despite our situation.

"Don't get used to it." He parrotted my earlier words back with a small smile of his own.

"You take the torch. I'm getting pretty good at dealing with the screws and prying the vents off when needed." I told him. "What do you need me to do?"

"You're not going to like it." He pressed his lips into a thin line. "I don't like it either."

"Spit it out, Bell."

"I need you to break back into that control office and find out what else they have going on. I'd do it myself, but you're already familiar with their computer system."

"Not to mention you're more likely to electrocute yourself than be helpful if it comes to rewiring something." I told him lightheartedly, despite my growing anxiety.

"We need to know that our people can get here safely."

"I know." I nodded, thinking of my Dad, Octavia, and Clarke. No doubt they would be on the front lines. "I got this."

Bellamy paused only a moment before ducking into the vent.

"May we meet again."

The gravity of our traditional goodbye on his tongue rocked me to my core and I heard myself echoing the words, knowing that things could very easily go badly for either of us.

"May we meet again."

Bellamy turned and crawled into the vent, and I lifted the cover, propping it on, but not securing it in case he needed to make a quick exit. We would meet again. We had to. This would not be our end. I touched my hand to my earpiece.

"Raven, it's all you."

"And me!" Wick chimed in.

"Yes, you too, Wick." I smiled. Wick had a way of adding ease to most situations.

"We'll get it done." Raven said.

With that, I stepped out into the hall trying to piece together a plan as I walked. A fake radiation leak wouldn't work a second time. Especially not with some 'cured' mountain men like Emerson on the loose. They had nothing to fear from radiation and I was sure that if Emerson was walking hazmat suit free, then Cage was immune too. Selfish bastard that he was, no doubt he took the first dose for himself. I needed to be in that room, but even with the guard uniform, there was no disguising who I was. The best I could hope for was to be overlooked. I ducked into a bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. Cage knew my description. Everyone in the mountain had seen me at least at some point in these past few weeks. My blue eyes stared back at me. Not much I could do about those. But my hair… I grabbed the knife that was strapped to my leg - a standard part of the guards uniform. Grabbing the long dark waves, I sliced it off just above my shoulders, hoping the new shorter hair would at least cause people to look over me more quickly. After all, seconds between recognition could mean life and death at this point. I'd take any advantage I could get. I finished my impromptu haircut quickly pulling the hat down overtop. A pang hit my chest as I thought about my mom. She had always loved my long hair, but I pushed passed the sentimental memories. This was life and death. Practicality came first. With my slightly altered look I figured my best bet was the plan that was the craziest. If Clarke was marching here with an army, the control room should be packed with guards and advisors. I should be able to hide in the numbers. As long as I kept my head down and didn't draw any notice, hopefully I would just be able to sit down at a desk and find out what I needed to. I adjusted the uniform, tugging at it and tucking it in to make it look like it fit better before heading out to what could possibly be my doom.

At the control panel door I took a deep breath and swiped my stolen keycard. The door flashed green and I breathed a sigh of relief. I guess Emerson had been a tad too busy gathering new clothes to figure out that it was missing. The control room was as busy as I had hoped. I allowed myself a small smile. If I couldn't have anonymity in solitude, I'd find it in numbers. I walked with purpose, avoiding anyone's eye as I sat at an empty desk and looked at the monitor. I was pleased this computer was at a lone workstation, meaning it was slightly removed from the main workstation and had a bit more privacy.I had nary been clicking through the defense protocols for a few minutes before Cage walked into the control room with Emerson right behind him.

 _Shit_

I felt my heartbeat increase tenfold, but forced myself to remain calm and keep 'working'. I had known it was a possibility they would be here. It was just a possibility I had hoped I wouldn't have to deal with.

In his hand, Emerson held a radio over which a familiar voice crackled.

"Raven? We've got a problem! Dammit, where are you! The fog isn't down! Get word to Clarke. We have to stop the army!" Bellamy's voice was rife with panic. I felt that very panic infecting me, turning my blood to ice. I clicked over to the acid fog monitor on my computer and saw that they had disengaged the main control panel by removing the needed drivers. I cursed softly. It would be impossible to neutralize the acid until they were installed again.

"As you can see, sir, the radio has been cut off. They can no longer contact the outside." Emerson said, handing over the radio to Cage.

"Good. Do a sweep and make sure they aren't hiding anything else. And bring me the intruder. I want to know how he got in here." Cage replied calmly, walking up to the front of the room. Emerson pointed at 4 guards and sent them out the door. He walked passed me too close to me for comfort, but I kept my eyes on my screen, installing the needed drivers to neutralize the fog. I was running out of time and so was Bellamy. I had to warn him. I waited until Cage set the radio down, his gaze fully focussed on the approaching army.

"Wait until they are too far in the veil to retreat." Cage ordered. "Deploy on my command."

I risked raising my hand to my ear, activating my radio.

"Bellamy," I hissed, "They're coming. You have to get out of there." I tried to keep my voice low so no one in the room would connect the dots that the voice that just came through the now monitored channel was the same as their supposed coworker. Cage turned his attention away from the screen, looking at the radio.

"Tara, the fog's not down." Bellamy's voice echoes, coming in through my radio earpiece and again through the radio in Cages hand. Cage had just started looking around the room when a guard drew his attention back to the main screen.

"They're all within the veil, sir."

"Good. Deploy the fog."

I held my breathe, waiting to hear the worst. A moment passed. Then another. Nothing happened.

"We're negative for deployment." Emerson said, looking at the monitor. My heart jumped in my chest. Bellamy had done it. Somehow, despite all odds, he had gotten the job done. I just hoped he had made it through unscathed.

"What happened?!" Cage fumed.

"Soldiers report an explosion in chemicals deployment. Multiple casualties. The veil is down. I repeat, the veil is down." Another guard chimed in. With the look Cage threw him, I'm sure he wished he had just kept his mouth shut. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Bellamy had blown the damn thing up. I guess that was one way to solve a problem.

"What else can we use?" Cage asked, pacing in anger.

"The reapers can't take a force this large." Emerson said.

"The missiles won't work at this close of a range." Another added.

"Don't tell me what we can't do! Tell me what we can do!" Cage shouted.

"Nothing." Emerson was solemn. "All we have now is the doors."

Cage nodded, as if trying to keep himself together, and then he failed. He grabbed a book off a desk and hurled it at the wall, where if collided with a loud crash right next to my startled face. I jumped slightly, catching his attention.

"You." He snarled, recognition crashing over him. "You did this."

Not wasting a moment, I jumped to my feet, attempting to make it to the door. I had barely made it two steps before two guards had grabbed me and bound my hands behind my back. They dragged me up to Cage.

"You're going to tell me how to fix this." Cage's voice was menacing and cold. "And then you're going to watch everyone you love die."

"Wrong on both counts there, ." I spit at him, adding as much scorn as was humanly possible on his formal title.

"Take her away. Throw her in with the savages. I need to get some... supplies ...and then we'll start the interrogation."

I wish I could say my knees didn't shake and my blood didn't run cold at his threat and at his voice, but I'd be lying. I was terrified. I remembered the horrible serum and what it had done to Lincoln. I remembered the video's I seen of Monty, and the horrible bruises and cuts I'd seen on Harper. I remembered my own time hung upside down and bled nearly dry.

Cage smirked, seeing the fear in my eyes. I'm sure it stoked the sick twisted part of his ego that was growing by the day. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look into his dark soulless eyes.

"If you weren't 8 doses of walking bone marrow and carrying information I need, I'd kill you right now. Slowly and creatively." He added, snapping for the guards to drag me away.

"Then I guess I'll count my freaking blessing's." I snarled, refusing to let him intimidate me further. I needed to escape, and escape would be easier in the hallway with less guards to pick up the slack once the two escorting me were incapacitated. They led me to the door, gripping my arms tightly. Emerson had the gall to grin at me and wave as I was escorted out. Once in the hall, I walked compliantly for the length of one hallway, but as soon as we turned the corner, I let my legs give out, turning into complete dead weight. The unexpected change caused the two men to slump inwards to compensate for the additional weight. I used their momentum, sweeping the leg of the one man. Once he was on the ground, I sprang to my feet, delivering a cruel roundhouse kick to the other guard. My booted foot connected with the sweet spot right behind his ear, causing him to crumple like a paper bag to the ground. Unfortunately for me, kicking with your hands bound behind you was harder than I anticipated, and I lost my balance, falling to the floor. By this time, the first guard had gotten to his feet and drawn his stun baton.

"Don't move." He snarled, unfurling the weapon. I pushed myself to my knees.

"I'd raise my hands, but…" I shrugged. "You know."

The guard didn't care for my sass and marched over, grabbing my arm and hauling me to my feet, just as I had wanted him to. As soon as I was upright, I swung my head forward in a vicious headbutt, catching his nose with my forehead. He cursed and dropped the baton. I swept his legs again as blood poured down his face and his head hit the ground with a crack. He joined his friend in unconsciousness. I slumped against the wall, the quick adrenaline from the fight leaving me. I was annoyed by my still bound hands as it proved a tad more difficult to stand up. I had just gotten to my feet when another guard rounded the corner. I was already running through ideas on how to dispose of him when my vision finally saw past the khaki uniform and recognized the man staring back.

"When you said you had been training…" Bellamy whistled looking at the bodies on the ground and then turned to regard me again. He raised his eyebrows at my impromptu haircut. "How'd that disguise work out?"

"Shut up and get these things off me." I turned around presenting him with my bound hands. He clipped through the restraints quickly. I dropped to the ground, moving the men into the recovery position so they wouldn't choke while unconscious while Bellamy looked on almost incredulous. It was finished in a few seconds and we were jogging towards the harvest chamber. It was time to free our army on the inside of the mountain.


	23. Blood must have blood

Our boots pounded the ground as we ran toward the harvest chamber. The two of us didn't speak. We could feel the noose closing around our necks. Time was running short and now things were do or die. I skidded to a halt outside the door to the harvest chamber and scanned my card. It flashed red. Denied.

"Damn it." I cursed.

"Move." Bellamy ordered, smashing the key card scanner with the butt of his gun. The electronics hissed and sparked, and in that short moment, he connected a booted foot with the door in a strong kick. The first one didn't get through, but the second kick did. I stood in an alert position, feeling naked without a gun of my own. There was nothing I could do aside from shout a warning if people came around the corner right now.

With the door open, we slipped inside the harvest chamber and I grabbed a fire axe off the wall.

I slipped it between the handles of the door in hopes of slowing down whoever would be coming since Bellamy had convienently busted the lock in half.

"Get up." Bellamy barked at the grounder girl who we had met earlier. "It's time to go. I told you I'd come back for you." He opened her cage and tossed me some of the keys to start opening the other ones.

There were hundreds of cages and I hoped to high heaven that there was a master key for these cages or we were going to be here forever. After attempting the same key on two cages, it was clear that there wasn't. We'd have to figure out the locks and keys individually. The grounders who were in cages saw their salvation within reach and started shaking their bars in an attempt to get free faster.

"They're making too much noise." I whispered frantically to Echo. "We need to be quiet."

She nodded and shouted at them in the grounder language. Whatever she said was incredibly effective as almost immediately the room fell silent.

"How do we do this?" Echo asked Bellamy and I. I peeled off half the keys from the ring they were on and tossed them to her.

"The sooner we get them out of the cages, the sooner we get out of this mountain." I said.

"There is an army at the front door right now." Bellamy added. "As soon as they get the front door open, all hell will break loose. That's the signal for my friends to come here. We're going to get you out via the tunnels."

"But the reapers…"

"We have a solution for that." I told Echo as we worked to free the grounder prisoners. We had barely opened 5 cages when Cage's voice crashed over the intercom, broadcasting to the entire bunker.

"My fellow citizens, this is your president speaking. I have news to share with you that will change all of our lives forever. For 97 years, Mount Weather has been our home. It's kept us alive, but it has also held us captive. Most of us have made peace with what we've had to do to survive. We've done these things for one reason... so that our people could someday return to the ground. That day is today." His voice was smooth and full of charm.

My eyes met Bellamy's.

"He's going public." He got back to work unlocking cages. I stood up and grabbed his arm.

"Our friends aren't safe. He's going to get his people to turn them in."

Bellamy turned to glare at me, clenching his teeth. He contemplated the problem, trying to come up with a new plan before nodding once and handing me his keys.

"I'll go get them. We send them here now. I'll get them here, you get them out." Bellamy said to me and then turned to Echo. "Get your people ready to go, but wait for me to come back. Understand?"

She nodded. Bellamy went to the door and pulled out the fire axe I had threaded through. In a moment, he was gone, but Cage's voice still polluted the airwaves.

"And to the 45 criminals in this mountain...the 45 murderers….the 45 thieves…. Just know that you will be found, and those who hid you will be treated as enemies of the state. The only way to save them is to turn yourselves in."

I felt my spine stiffen in anger as Echo and I worked.

"He is desperate." She noted, listening to the announcement.

"He's an asshole."

We worked quickly, freeing the grounders. Some glared at me in hate and mistrust, while others were overcome with gratitude. The more grounders we freed the faster freeing the rest of them became. Soon, my friends started filing into the harvest chamber as well and I released a breath I wasn't aware I had been holding.

"Miller!" I grinned as I pulled him into a hug. "Where's Jasper? Monty?"

"Jasper is with Bellamy. Monty was with the group on Level 3. They'll be here soon I'm sure." He said, returning the hug. Harper came into the harvest chamber shortly after, looking better than she had that morning when I had left her.

"I am glad to see you alive." I told her.

"I could say the same to you." She replied.

"I very nearly wasn't, but that's a story for another time." I grinned as Echo walked over to me.

"We're ready." She looked weak and beaten, but her voice was strong and promised revenge. "Jus drein, jus daun."

"Jus drein, jus daun." I repeated back. Just then, the lights went out.

"Thank you, Clarke." Finally things were actually going according to plan. I pulled a lighter from the pocket of my guard uniform and the small flame offered a little light in the pitch black harvest chamber where everyone stood waiting in silence.

"Attention. Class one quarantine protocols are now in effect. All citizens must report to level 5 immediately. Hard seal lockdown in T-minus 30 minutes and counting." The automated voice on the P.A. system split the silence. I saw Echo in the dark and nodded slightly to let her know everything was going according to plan. Soon Bellamy would be back and all of us would be getting out of here. We'd be free. We'd be safe. I heard footsteps running down the hallway and pushed my way forward. The steps didn't sound like Bellamy's, but we were still waiting on some of our friends. Monty hadn't arrived yet, and neither had Jasper or Maya. I opened the door slowly and noticed the lights flicker back on. The backup power had kicked in. Maya's dad came into view. He was out of breath and terrified.

"Sir, what's going on?" My voice hitched frantically as I heard the distant echo of boots coming down the hall.

"You… kids… you have to get out...go."He gasped, collapsing forward. I rushed forward and caught him, immediately noticing the dampness that coated the back of his shirt. It was sticky and heavy. Blood. He had been shot. Shot in the back by his own people.

"But…" I started to say and he cut me off. "Cage made a deal with the commander." He gasped and then lifted his head towards the grounders. "They can all go free as long as the mountain gets to keep you and your friends."

Echo had overheard this and inhaled a sharp breath.

"We have to go." I turned to Miller and Harper. The boots outside the door we so close now. We had seconds. I tried to heft Maya's dad onto my shoulder, but he slipped to the floor.

"Leave me." He groaned. "I can't survive outside anyways."

"Secure the door." I snapped to Miller. "We're leaving via their disposal chute." I pointed to the side room and gestured for Harper to go. She hadn't even taken one step when I felt arms slide around my neck in a chokehold.

"If you leave, we don't get to go free." Echo said, tightening her grip.

"You're coming with us." I gasped out. "We're not leaving you behind."

"Our commander has made a deal. We have to honour it." She replied as I sank to my knees.

"What about your deal with us?" I grappled at her arms, but she was incredibly strong, despite having been starved and drained of blood. Already black was clouding in at the sides of my vision. The other grounders had surrounded my friends, corralling them towards the door that would open to the hallway.

"Lexa is a great commander because she is ruthless." Echo commented, finally releasing the hold before I slipped into unconsciousness. "And honour has no place in war."

The door to the harvest chamber opened and the mountain men stormed in.

"Take the savages to the door." A voice barked orders to the others. I attempted to push myself to my feet but was shoved back to the ground where a pair of metal cuffs was snapped on my wrists. It was a feeling I was unfortunately becoming all too familiar with.

"You're not going anywhere."

Emerson. Great. My second favourite person in Mount Weather aside from Cage. He grabbed the chain securing my cuffs and yanked me to my feet, straining the muscles in my shoulders. In front of me Harper, Miller, Fox and everyone else who had managed to make it to our short lived safe haven was being restrained and frog marched through the hallway.

Emerson fisted his hand in my newly shorn hair and yanked my head back.

"Time for a reckoning." He snarled, steering me out. I tried every trick I could think of to escape, but after a few hits from a stun baton, I couldn't even stand and two guards were left to drag me to Level 5.

My hands were uncuffed from behind my back, only to be cuffed to the wall in front of me. Two more guards brought in a table soaked with blood containing neck straps, wrist straps and ankle straps. It was straight out of a horror film. Beside me, Harper let out a small groan. I glanced at her and from the horror on her face, I knew she had seen this table before. Her and Monty both. It made my blood boil.

"This. Is. Not. Happening." I shouted, tugging brutally against my restraints with each word. I gripped the chains of the cuffs and braced my feet against the wall, trying to push. At this point, I didn't even care if my lost both my hands if it meant I could escape and get my friends out of here.

"Can you do something about that?" A guard said to his companion with a stun baton and once again I felt electricity enter my body. I could taste copper in my mouth as I hung limp against the wall. Blood ran down my arms from the cuts that had sliced into my wrists from the harsh metal of the cuffs. Cage walked into the room followed by a doctor in a white lab coat. I didn't doubt it wouldn't stay white for long.

"Let's get started." Cage said, clapping his hands together. "No sense prolonging the inevitable." Two guards went and grabbed Fox, strapping her into the chair of death. Then the torture began. Her screams split the room as the doctor drilled deep into her hip sockets. They had extracted 4 doses - 2 from her hips and 2 from her shoulders- when the drilling stopped briefly as more people were marched into the room. The new prisoners were forced to their knees as their hoods were whipped off. Raven, Monroe, Wick, Miller's Dad, Abby and...my Dad.

"Dad?" My voice broke into a sob and he looked at me for the first time since he had visited my prison cell on the ark. "Dad, no."

"Tara." Marcus Kane said my name as though he couldn't quite believe he was here and seeing me. Cage watched this with great amusement.

"So this is the infamous Marcus Kane." Cage said, leaning forward to look my Dad in the eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?" My Dad glared back at him, shaking his head as he took in the horrors of the mountain.

"You know, your daughter has caused quite a bit of trouble for me." Cage continued, ignoring my Dad's statement. Kane looked at me and for the first time he seemed almost proud to hear that statement.

"I hope so." He snarled back. "You're barbarians!"

Cage shrugged. "Add them to the line." The guards dragged them down the room, adding them to the end of the line, except for Raven.

"This one is dead." The doctor gestured to Fox. "Put her on next." He told the guard holding Raven.

"What? No!" Wick shouted. "Take me! Don't touch her. DON'T TOUCH HER!"

Tears slid down my face as my friend was forced onto the table and secured. Raven had always been a fighter and she didn't disappoint as she reared up and bit the guards neck, tearing out a huge piece of flesh.

"Aauggh!" The guard screamed, laying into Raven with the stun baton once again. Once she was secured the torture started all over again.

"STOP THIS!" I screamed. I screamed until my lungs went hoarse. I couldn't take it anymore. I pulled against the handcuffs again, hoping the blood would slicked my wrists enough to slip free.

Cage came over and stood by me.

"I told you they wouldn't participate willingly." He told me, running his spider like fingers over the side of my face.

"You didn't even give them the choice." I hissed at him. "We could have donated the bone marrow."

"That would never have happened." He whispered.

"You sadist! You, you, perverse…monster!" I couldn't find words harsh enough to express my distaste.

Cage shrugged. "Everyone has a monster inside them." He paused and regarded me. "I wonder what yours will be when I let it out." If possible, my blood ran even colder.

"I told you what would happen if you tried to run away." Cage's voice was calm which terrified me. "So you don't need to worry. You won't end up on that table." I was shaking so hard the chains which held me to the wall were rattling.

"Leave her alone." My Dad shouted at Cage. "Torturing kids? What is wrong with you? We could have helped each other. We could have been allies."

Cage threw back his head and laughed. "I can see where she gets it from."

He turned back to me. "Enjoy your last sane moments."

My legs gave way and I was left dangling against the wall only by my wrists. Raven's screams punctured the air, and Wick was fighting viciously against his restraints trying to get to her. Everything seemed lost. Until…

"Carl Emerson, Mount Weather Security Detail, come in." Clarke's voice crackled over the radio.

Emerson looked down at his radio, frowning. "Who is this?"

"You know who it is." Clarke responded. "Give the radio to the president."

Emerson handed the radio to Cage.

"I have your father. If you don't let my people go, I will kill him." Cold, calculated, and to the point.

"How do I know you have him?" Cage's voice shook slightly and I was surprised that the sadistic murderer in front of me actually seemed to care about one other person on the planet aside from himself.

"Stay the course, Cage." Dante's voice was crisp.

"You won't do it." Cage sneered.

"You don't know me very well." Clarke was quick to reply. Cage tilted his head to the side taking in everything that was going on, considering.

"Dad...I'll take care of our people."

A moment passed and then, as I knew would happen, Clarke was true to her word. The sound of a gunshot echoed through the radio followed by a scream as Dante hit the ground. Cage's eyes became even colder.

"Emerson." He barked. Emerson hurried over.

"They're watching us from the command centre. Go kill them all." When he turned back, I could see his eyes were wet with unshed tears.

"Get her off." He told the guard, gesturing to Raven.

"But sir, we haven't got…"

"Do it."

The guards hustled to obey.

Cage came and stood in front of me.

"You and Clarke have been nothing but problems for me." He hissed. "Put her on."

"No!" My dad cried, tugging against his own cuffs. "You can't. Please! She's all I have left."

I was hauled to the table and forced onto it.

"This isn't what you want to do." I told him frantically. "You're hurting. You've lost someone. This isn't what your father would want."

I didn't even see the slap that connected with my face.

"My father would want what is best for his people." He grabbed my neck cutting off my air. "And I'm going to follow through." He released me and I gasped in air through my bruised throat. "But I'm afraid you're not going to be alive to see it. Between you and Clarke, you've killed over 40 of my men. No, I do want to do this." He nodded and the drilling began. At first I tried not to scream. Seconds later I gave in. The pain was unimaginable.

"Let her go." Harper sobbed from the wall. "Please."

"Shut up."

"Cage Wallace." Clarke's voice came through the radio again. "If you don't let my people go, I will irradiate Level 5. Stop the drilling and we can talk."

Cage paused, looking at me on the table, and then at everyone else in the room.

"Who in here means the most to Clarke?" He snarled me. "You know her best. Who is it?! TELL ME."

My eyes met with Abby's, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't sell out Clarke's mom. Just then, Jasper walked into the room escorted by a guard.

"No." I whispered. It seemed as if we were truly lost now. Clarke was our only hope. Clarke and Bellamy. But then...the guard dropped. The people around Cage also fell to the floor. Burns appeared across their skin as they struggled to suck down air. Cage shook his head in horror, running to the door.

"No, no, no." Jasper said, looking at the radiation poisoning symptoms. "Maya." He took off out of the room.

"Jasper!" My Dad yelled. "Uncuff us!"

But Jasper had only one thing on his mind. I lay my head back on the metal table, aching and in pain. A grounder burst into the room, but after taking a second look I recognized her. Not a grounder. Octavia.

"Octavia!" My Dad shouted. "Get the keys!"

She rushed to a collapsed guard and unhooked his keys, freeing my Dad who rushed over to the table and began to unstrap me.

"My poor girl, my girl." He sobbed as he gathered me into a tight hug.

"I'm ok Dad." I cried, tears streaking down my face as well as I hugged him tight. "I'm ok."

Bellamy burst into the room a moment later, followed by Clarke and Monty. Clarke ran to her mom and wrapped her in a hug, while Monty rushed to Harper, before coming to see if I was ok. Bellamy rushed up to the table, taking in the spilled blood all around it.

"Tara…" He started to say, but I shook my head.

"I'm ok. It's over. We're safe."

"You did good." My Dad clapped him on the back. "Let's get our people home."

I swung my legs off the table and tried to stand only to have one leg collapse beneath me from the drilling that had happened. I caught myself on the side of the table, but Bellamy was there a heartbeat later threading my arm over his shoulder and helping me limp over to Abby who was treating injuries to the best of her ability. Clarke was assisting despite the tears leaking from her eyes.

"Clarke…" I started to say, but then couldn't find the words. She had done so much to get us out of here. She had given up so much and made impossible choices. Clarke tried to give me a reassuring smile, but it failed as I pulled her into a hug. She sniffled, and then wiped at her eyes.

"How's your leg?" She asked. Clearly she didn't want to dwell on the death around us. The deaths she had caused.

"I'll live." I told her. "And with your skills, I'll probably even be able to walk home."

"Home…" Clarke whispered more to herself than to me. "I bear it so they don't have to."

I caught her eye and looked at her, seeing again how truly broken she was from the choice she had just had to make.

"You know if you ever need someone- to talk to, or to listen, or to distract from everything - I'm here for you." I placed my hands on her shoulders and looked at her. "And if you need to get away from it all for a while, I understand that too." She tilted her head to the side as though the idea hadn't occurred to her and I saw something clear in her eyes.

"You're a good friend, Tara." She said, patching up my wounds as best she could.

"If you do decide to leave for a while," I paused grabbing a small walkie talkie from the ground and handed it to her. I picked up another one for me and quickly linked the two so they worked like a private line. "You can always call me if you need anything. I won't tell anyone where you are until you're ready, but Clarke, you're not alone." She nodded fiercely pocketing the small walkie, her eyes wet with unshed Clarke and I were talking, my Dad walked over and hugged Abby, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. I met Clarke's eyes.

"That's…new?" I commented and Clarke managed a weak laugh.

I shrugged. "If they're happy, I'm happy." I left Clarke and limped over to my Dad who wrapped a protective arm around me. It was time to go home.

After trekking through the forest and Mountains Camp Jaha was a sight for sore eyes. I smiled at the name remembering Wells. I wished he could have been alive to see this moment. All the survivors. Safe. I stood at the gate with Monty staring up at the sign. Jasper hadn't spoken to anyone since we left Mount Weather.

"He's never going to forgive me." Monty sighed, looking at his best friend.

"You had no choice." I reassured him. "None of us did." Guilt ate at my heart too as I thought about Alex's little sister who would now be dead as well. No choices but hard ones.

A few feet further away I saw Clarke give Bellamy a hug and turn towards the forest. She glanced back at me and nodded. She was going out on her own. I tapped my pocket which contained the walkie to let her know if she needed me, I would be there. Keeping the secret would be hard, but for her, I could do it. It was the least of what she deserved. A heartbroken Bellamy came over and stood beside Monty and I.

"She's leaving." Bellamy's voice sounded hollow, like he couldn't quite believe it. "She's leaving me."

"She needs time." I told him. "Give her that."

Bellamy sighed deeply. "I'm getting a drink." He looked at Monty and I and raised an eyebrow. "Coming?"

A drink sounded perfect. With that, the two of us followed Bellamy inside and the gates shut behind us. Without Clarke.


	24. Wanheda Part 1

It was the Ark, but different. For starters, Abby was chancellor. She was a better chancellor than Jaha for sure, but her first and very evident concern was obviously for Clarke. Everyday since Clarke had left she had sent out scouting parties with two missions: Get the lay of the land and find Clarke. I felt the walkie-talkie in my pocket burning as I lied to both her and my Dad when they asked if I had any idea where she was. But I couldn't tell them. If Clarke needed to be alone after what she had done, the least I could do is make sure she had the space she needed. So I acted as a double agent, letting her know where the patrols were headed and where to avoid them. And on occasion, when she was feeling up to it, I would evade the guards, cut power to the fence in one spot and sneak out to meet her. Today was one of those days. Bellamy would be training with Lincoln and the other guards, meaning there would be less appointed around the fence. Not that it was there to stop anyone going out. After what happened at Mount Weather, everyone in Arkadia was mistrustful of grounders. I worried what would happen if one showed their face in this neck of the woods. Sighing, I gathered up my backpack and stuffed it full of food rations, water, a few blankets and a knife. It was well past time to be going. I opened my door and nearly jumped backwards when Monty came running in.

"Sneaking out again?" He asked, raising a brow.

"What? Me?" I was the picture of innocence.

"Look, I get it. You promised Clarke you wouldn't tell where she is." He said, brushing aside my poor attempt at looking not guilty. "But I need your help first."

I grinned at my best friend. Ever perceptive, Monty Green knew what I was hiding and would honor my promise. Of course he knew. Nothing got by him. I wondered how long it had taken him to figure it out. He probably knew the second we walked through the gates of Arkadia.

"What do you need?" I asked, dropping my pack by the door and stepping out into the hall.

"It's Jasper."

Just like that, my happiness faded. Jasper had not been the same since Maya's death. He drank himself into oblivion every option he got, and with each passing day he was becoming more and more reckless.

"What's he done?" I asked, hurrying after Monty.

"Passed out underneath the Rover. Can you help sober him up?" Monty asked, as we entered the garage. "I don't want anyone else to see him like this, you know?"

I looked at Jasper's prone form, lying with his head propped against the wheel and I understood. Clarke was able to run away and deal with her problems, but here Jasper was just expected to be 'ok', when clearly he was grieving deeply.

"C'mon, let's get him up." I grabbed a wrist and hefted his body over my shoulder as Monty did the same. Together we dragged him to his room where we set him in the shower.

"Get ready…" I told Monty, my hand on the cold water tap. Jasper was never friendly to those who woke him up, even when he wasn't recovering from a drunken stupor brought on by bottomless grief.

"Let's get it over with." He nodded resolute.

I twisted the knob and icy water jetted out, drenching Jasper, who sputtered awake, cursing.

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" He cursed, but then his eyes cleared and he saw Monty and I standing over him. "Oh, it's you."

"Of course it's us." Monty admonished him. "You might have given up on yourself, but we still care about you."

Jasper looked away from us, gazing at the cold water running down the drain.

"Can you at least get dressed? Bellamy has called for a scouting mission. It would do you some good to come on it." Monty continued, crouching down so he was level with this friend. "Jasper, c'mon."

"Maya would have loved to see the outside." He muttered, barely audible.

"So see it for her." I told him. "Do you think she would be happy to see you sitting here, wallowing in misery? Live the life she couldn't."

Jasper glared at me. "Like that will bring her back…"

I spun away. Nothing I said these days helped him. He was choosing his misery over everything else.

"Get dressed. Meet me by the Rover in 20 minutes." Monty said, turning off the water. "Fresh air will do you good."

With that, we left him sitting in a puddle in the bottom of his shower, soaked through and staring at the wall behind us.

"Do you think he'll actually come?" I asked Monty. Monty looked at me with worry.

"If not, I'll find a way to make him. He can't just give up on life. It's been 4 months."

"He thinks he will never love again." I mentioned.

"Well, not with that attitude he won't." Monty growled, as close to anger as I had ever seen him. He was determined to bring Jasper back from the brink by sheer will power alone.

"If you need my help, you know where to find me." I told him. "But I won't be here for a few hours."

"Give Clarke my regards." Monty smiled slightly. "You could tell her to come home, you know."

"She'll come home when she is ready." I replied. "Like Jasper, she just needs some time."

I waved bye to Monty and turned the corner, nearly running into Patrick head on.

"Well, well, well." He said, looking at me with cold amusement in his sea-blue eyes. "I just overheard the most interesting bit of information."

"Out of my way, jackass." I went to push past him, but he stepped in front of me again.

"Could it be that all this time, you have known where the Chancellor's daughter is? And haven't told her? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Naughty Tara, up to your old tricks."

I could feel my blood boil in my veins. It would be so much easier if he had just died on the Ark, but Noooo, of all people to survive, the boy who had gained my trust only to betray me and sign my own death warrant would be the one to survive.

"Interesting fairy tale you've made up." I snarled. "Why don't you go tell and see who believes you."

His smile turned lethal in an instant as he backed me up towards a wall.

"You always did think you were better than me. But not this time. This time, I get to win." He grabbed my arm and started leading me towards Abby's office.

"Didn't you win on the ark when you turned me in to be executed?" I spit back.

"You're still breathing, aren't you?" A harsh response for someone who had once claimed to love me. I wondered when I had become his number one enemy. Perhaps it was while he knew I was safe on earth, while he was stuck living in a metal tube that may or may not have failing life support. Perhaps it was when my Dad kicked him off the council he had worked so hard to become a part of as soon as he had become acting chancellor. How was I to know the reason for his incencent hatred and bitterness? It could be one reason, it could be twenty. All I knew for certain was that right here, right now, Patrick hated me, and I for one sure hated him as well.

He pounded on the door of Abby's room and I had the small joy of seeing a look of surprise pass over his face when it was my Dad who opened the door.

"The chancellor hasn't slept in days." He hissed at Patrick, his eyes straying to me. "This had better be good."

"She knows where Clarke is, sir." He reported like a good little soldier. I rolled my eyes.

"Dad, you know I don't."

My Dad looked at me, trying to discern if I was lying or not, and regardless of what he saw, he turned to Patrick.

"You are dismissed."

"Sir? With all due respect, I wished to present this to the chancellor and…"

"And you've presented it to me. Trust that I will see that the chancellor gets the information she needs to."

I couldn't stop myself from throwing Patrick a triumphant smirk as he was forced to walk away and leave me with my Dad.

"You do know where she is." My Dad turned to me, running his fingers through his lengthening hair. "Tara, you have to tell her mother. If it were you out there, I would want to know you were alright."

Ah. The concerned parent card.

"She is fine, and no, I don't know where she is. She keeps on the move. But I have crossed her path on occasion." A half truth was better than the whole truth in this situation as it allowed me to put my Dad's mind at rest and keep my promise to Clarke.

"And you didn't think it prudent to tell her mother?" He asked me. "Tara, it's her daughter. She's worried sick."

"She shouldn't be." I replied. "Look, Dad, if anything happened that was putting Clarke in danger, you know I would be the first one out there looking for her. But Clarke told me what she had to do to get us out. She told me about Finn…"

Marcus Kane pressed his lips into a thin line, sadness etching through his features.

"She should never have had to make that choice." His voice was barely above a whisper.

"But she did. We've all had to make choices we didn't want to." I told him. "When we first came to the ground, we learned how to be strong. How to survive. Clarke will be fine on her own until she finds peace again."

My dad took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly, a small smile tugging up at the corner of his mouth.

"When did you get so wise?" He asked. I grinned in response, before turning away and leaving my Dad to go back and watch over Abby.

I made my way towards the garage, which would take me to my secret exit in the fence. Inside the garage, I saw Gina packing up supplies for Bellamy's trip, humming to herself as she worked. Her and Bellamy had only been together a few weeks, but I could see how happy she was. Slipping out the door, I ran to the small hole in the fence that I had lined with inhibitors, cutting off the electric power and rerouting it into the other wires. A simple bit of electronics, but genius in its execution. I slipped through the fence and disappeared into the thick forest on the other side. I walked silently while the camp was near, keeping my ears open and eyes peeled for any scouts or guards who would be out patrolling, but after covering a fair distance of land without seeing or hearing anything, I began to relax. I picked up my pace from a brisk walk to a jog and relished the burn of oxygen in my lungs as I weaved my way through the forest towards the spot where Clarke and I would meet. It was a solid 20 kilometers from camp through the forest. Longer by road, but if I kept up a steady pace, I would be there in just under 2 hours. I pulled the walkie talkie from my pocket and let her know. I arrived without much trouble and found Clarke sitting next to a dead panther.

"You know, I brought you some food." I raised my eyebrows at her kill. She sat beside it wiping the blood of her knife.

"You can never be too careful." She smiled in return, pulling me into a hug. "It's good to see you Tara."

"You too." I replied, pulling out my own knife. "Need some help?" I gestured with the tip to the great beast that lay on the floor. Clarke glanced at it. "No, not here, at least. It is easier to carry as one piece."

I sheathed the knife again on my belt. "Where are we carrying it?"

Clarke looked at me, probably considering if she could trust me with more information about what she had been up to out here. She must have decided yes, because she answered.

"There is a trading post not far from here. I've been using it for supplies. Meat and pelts for knives, clothes…"

"Hair dye?" I asked, mentioning her vibrant red hair. The colour didn't suit her, but I wasn't going to be the one to say it.

"I was hoping it would make me harder to recognise." She said, touching the hair.

"Well, you certainly accomplished that." I smiled, grabbing the front paws of the panther as Clarke grabbed the hind ones. "Why? I don't think anyone form the ark will be out this far."

"You haven't heard?" She seemed surprised. "No, I don't suppose you would have unless someone defied Lexa and started talking to the Arkadia again. I'm being hunted."

I nearly dropped the big cat as I tried to turn and look at her.

"What?!"

"Yeah, Ice nation is after me. Wanheda." Her voice rang bitter as she said the last word.

"Clarke, you need to come back to the camp then." I had heard horrors about ice nation.

"You know I can't do that yet." She said. "I'm safe here, and it's still too soon. I can't….I just can't look at their faces every day knowing what I did to get them back safely."

"But you manage to look at me."

"That's different." Clarke's voice left no room for argument. "You're the one who gave me the option, Tara. I still need time."

I pressed my lips into a line, but didn't argue. Time was time. You couldn't make it come faster for someone who needed it, just like you couldn't make it flow slower for someone who wanted it.

"If you are in trouble, you call me. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you and I didn't tell anyone."

"I know it's not easy keeping the secret…" Clarke started. "But I appreciate it."

I let out a sigh.

"Your mom misses you."

Clarke didn't respond to that. In the distance I could see a trading post.

"That's it. It's probably best if I go in alone."

I nodded, and stripped off the backpack I had been wearing.

"For you." I told her. "Stay safe, Clarke. You know I'm here if you need me."

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she brushed them away furiously. "I will be fine.

I gave her another hug, before breaking it and stepped back into the forest. The sky was darkening and I had a long distance to travel back.

"Do you know the way?" Clarke asked.

"I'll manage." I grinned. "Until next time."

I faded back into the trees, feeling much lighter without the pack and was about to start jogging towards the river when I heard voices. I lightened my footsteps and began making my way towards the noise. I snuck forward, silent as the grave, until two figures came into my view. Grounders. Friends or foe, I didn't know, so I figured it was best to play it safe. I crouched down, scooping up mud and smearing it onto my face in hopes of helping me blend in better.

" _We have two more trading posts to check. She has to be using one of them."_ The rough grounder language sounded harsh to my ears, but after months of practising with Octavia and Lincoln, I was able to understand most of what they said.

" _And if she isn't?"_

" _She is one girl."_

" _She is Wanheda."_

I sucked in a sharp breath at the mention of Wanheda. It was the same name Clarke had mentioned. And if these scouts were to check the trading post she was in… I didn't want to think about what would happen. Stepping away from them, I pulled out the walkie talkie from my pocket.

"Clarke, there are scouts headed your way. Grounders. I don't know if they are ice nation or-" My frantic whisper got cut off as a knife came flying towards me. I dropped to the ground to avoid it, and watched as it embedded with serious force in the tree right behind where I had been standing. The walkie talkie rolled from my grasp, settling into the forest floor. I sat up, and whipped my head towards the source of the knife, only to find the two scouts seconds away from being upon me.

" _Is it her? We need her alive."_

Oh great, they thought _I_ was Wanheda. I wasn't looking forward to what happened when they discovered that wasn't true, so I quickly rolled towards the knife and wrenched it out of the tree. I flipped it in my palm, and pulled my other knife from my belt, bracing myself in a fighting stance just as the two of them arrived. One wore a mask across his face, and was tall as a mountain. The other was only slightly taller than me, built like a tank, with long hair and war paint smeared across his face.

"Ai laik nou wanheda." I stuttered out, in my very poor trigedasleng. _I am not wanheda_.

"Sky person." The mountain of a man cursed, switching to English. "She can tell us where Wanheda is."

I gripped the knives tightly, holding them between me and the scouts. I knew I didn't have a hope in hell of winning a fight against the two of them, but the knives gave me courage.

"I don't know who you are talking about." I told them, hoping Clarke had gotten my message and was heading away from the trading post.

The one with long hair looked at me, calculating. There was intelligence in his blue eyes, as they narrowed, taking me in.

"She will be useful as bait." He said, starting forward. I stepped backwards, bring my heel down hard on the walkie talkie. It cracked beneath my boot, drawing the eyes of the scouts downward. It was all the time I needed. I took the big knife that had been hurled at me earlier, and threw it towards the mountain of a man. It embedded just below his collarbone. Not a killing blow, but certainly incapacitating. The big man roared and raced forward, but his battle cry had the unintended effect of startling all the adrenaline into my system, causing me to run away through the woods as fast as I could, gripping my remaining knife tightly.

" _Leave her._ " I heard the one grounder shout. " _If she is here, Wanheda is close._ " I continued racing away until I had put a number of kilometers between me and the scouts. Sucking in air, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my emergency radio. Switching it on, I dialed it until it connected with the ark channel.

"Tara Kane, calling Marcus Kane." I reported into the radio. Clarke might hate me for what I was about to do, but it would be easier for her to hate me if she was alive. "Clarke is in trouble."


	25. Wanheda Part 2

It had been a few hours since I had contacted my dad on the radio. He informed me that a small team was on their way, and I should stay put. They would pick me up when they arrived. Anxiety was eating at me though, and I found it impossible to stay still. For one thing, it should only have taken the small team an hour at most to arrive if they were in the Rover. It had been 3 hours and the radio had been silent no matter how many times I tried to call. Secondly, I had silently made my way back towards the trading post and hadn't seen any sign of Clarke. What I did see was one of the scouts from earlier walking around the trading post as though he were casing the exits and entrances. I wondered what had happened to his buddy. Maybe he had been sent back to whatever camp they had come from to tend to his knife wound. Still, there would be no going into the trading post to warn Clarke. If he recognized me, he would know she was there for sure.

A few moments later Clarke walked out the front door and my stomach dropped to my feet when I saw the scout place a blade to her neck.

"Hello, Wanheda."

Clarke didn't fight back as he tied her hands and shoved a gag into her mouth. My hands drummed nervously on my thighs as I crouched in the bushes a small distance away. What to do, what to do…. I couldn't attack him, that much was obvious. I needed to wait for them to make camp and for his guard to be down. I didn't stand a chance without the element of surprise, and him with no weapons. More than ever I wished I had a gun. Knives seemed pretty useless right about now. I could wait until the team my dad sent arrived and let them know what had happened, but then what? We would have lost the trail. No, I had to follow them. That was my best bet.

The scout dragged Clarke off through the woods, and I quietly snuck out of my hiding spot and darted into the trading post.

"hei, na Ai help Yu?" _Hello, can I help you?_ Inside, a blonde girl with sharp features addressed me with apprehension.

"You know Clarke." I told her, not wasting any time. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, but she didn't deny it.

"I'm her friend. Listen, she is in trouble."

"She is always in trouble." The girl replied in accented English.

"One of those scouts took her." I said, "But I'm going after her."

"And why do you tell me this?"

"Because more of my people will be coming. Can you let them know I've gone after her?"

"I will do what I can for her." The girl replied, tucking a few of her long braids behind her ears. "Be careful, friend of Clarke."

"You can call me Tara." I smiled briefly, before running out the door and following the scout and Clarke into the forest. I kept my distance, almost too well as I nearly lost them at one point. It was only when I heard sounds of struggle in the distance that I found them again. Clarke was sopping wet and sitting in the water with scout, streaks of red rushed down her face as the dye ran from her hair, turning it back into its natural bright blonde. From the look of fury on the scouts face I could only guess that she had tried to drown him, and very nearly succeeded.

"On your feet, Wanheda." The scout growled.

"Those scars...you're ice nation." Clarke's voice carried to where I was concealed behind some trees. My blood ran cold. Ice nation? Here? Lincoln had warned us about ice nation, as they were much crueller and battle-ready than those of Trikru. I really hoped my backup would arrive soon, wherever they were. I hoped whatever was keeping them wasn't a life or death problem.

 _Probably just a flat tire, Tara_ , I reassured myself. _Those potholes on that road can be a bitch_.

The ice nation scout hauled Clarke out of the water and shoved her onward towards a large grass field. I smiled. It was perfect for concealment if I stayed low and crawled. I was already covered head to toe in mud, so it wasn't like I was worried about getting dirty at this point. The two of them entered the field, Clarke obviously fuming about being dragged along like a dog. I waited about 5 minutes, until they were well into the middle before inching my way forward. Immediately I noticed a problem with my "crawl in the grass" plan, as I couldn't see a fricken thing, as to which direction they were going unless I stuck my head up every 5 seconds. In my peripherals I could see a forest on the outside that they were heading towards, and figured maybe my best bet would be to try and jog the edge of the field and get around beside them. I ran around the edge of the field hoping that the scout and Clarke were deep enough in the middle of it that they wouldn't notice me. I didn't breath easy until I was back among the trees, lightly jogging towards an area I assumed would be near their exit point. Peeking out from behind my area of cover, I noticed I was close. Really close, actually. Close enough to hear Clarke start screaming, despite the gag in her mouth. In the near distance I saw two grounders approaching, and the angry ice nation guard dragging Clarke with a bag over her head towards them.

"Well, shit." I muttered. If they were ice nation too, we were really going to be screwed. One of the new grounders reached forward and ripped the bag off Clarke's head. I pulled my one and only knife from my boot and polished the blade until it shone. I let it catch the sunlight, reflecting it towards Clarke, so it would catch her eye. She noticed the blinking and looked in my direction, shock evident on her face. Things between the scouts seemed to be taking a terrible turn as the ice nation scout dropped Clarke's rope and prepared to fight them.

 _The enemy of my enemy..._ I thought, as Clarke seized the moment and sprinted towards me. I ran out of the trees towards her to help as one of the other grounders was following her, but just as I reached her, and arrow pierced him through the back and all 250 pounds of him collapsed on top of me.

"Tara, C'mon." Clarke tried pushing him off of me, as the ice nation scout approached.

"Run," I told her. "Get out of here. It's you they want, not me!"

"That's why they'll kill you!" She all but sobbed, as I pushed my way free. I tossed her my knife to cut her hands free, and we started running. We were fast, but the scout was faster. His hand latched onto the back of my jacket and threw me to the ground.

"It didn't have to be this way." His deep voice chided.

Clarke spun wildly, catching him in the stomach with my blade, just as he was about to grab her. I had pushed myself back to my feet, despite the lack of air in my chest after having the wind knocked out of me. Clarke turned to run again, but the scout grabbed me in strong headlock before I could even take one step forward.

"You take one more step and she dies." He snarled. Clarke froze.

"That's what I thought."

I clawed uselessly at the strong leather forearm guards that he was wearing as I struggled to breath.

"Let her go." Clarke voiced each word carefully.

"You've been nothing but trouble. I may not be able to kill you, but I can kill her. Perhaps she'll keep you in line." The ice nation scout was clearly angry. To be fair, Clarke had just stabbed him in the stomach. _Wait, that's it!_ I lowered my hand from trying to loosen his choke hold and pressed my fingers viciously into the stab wound. The man barely flinched. He loosed a grunt of pain before tightening the hold to completion, and sending me spiralling into darkness.

I awoke tied to a pillar. My neck was tied, and my arms were bound behind me. _Fan-fuckin-tastic._ I groaned. My head ached. I looked around in the dark damp room and noticed Clarke was tied up to the pillar next to me. So much for my brilliant daring rescue.

"Are you ok?" Clarke asked me, voice tinged with worry. My tongue felt too big for my mouth, and my head was fuzzy, but aside from that, all was in working order.

"Been better, been worse." I told her, thinking back to all the pain I had endured at Mount Weather. "I'm sorry."

"I'm just glad you're not hurt." Clarke replied.

"Where's tall, dark, and grumpy?" I asked, looking around the small room. There was a fire going, but no one else in sight.

"Probably out getting supplies." Clarke sighed. "You shouldn't have followed me, Tara."

I raised an eyebrow at her.

"So I should just have gone back home and told your mom and my dad, 'Oh Clarke? Yes, I let her get caught and brutally murdered by ice nation. No, no I didn't try to do anything to stop it. What's for dinner?' I'm sure they would take that really well." I joked, but the darkness of our situation really made it seem like gallows humor.

"Well, now we're both going to die, and for what?" Clarke continued. "All because these crazy people think that by killing me they can absorb my death power."

I snorted. "Death power?"

Clarke didn't laugh.

"C'mon Clarke, we'll figure it out." I told her, trying for her sake as well as mine to be optimistic. "We'll get out of this."

"If you know what is good for you, you won't try to." The deep voice of the ice nation scout drifted in from the doorway.

"Where are you taking us?" I asked him. He didn't answer. Instead, he walked over to the fire and took out my knife which Clarke had used to stab him. My breath hissed in involuntarily as fear caused adrenaline to quicken my system. Luckily, he didn't approach us with the blade, but rather, he started heating it over the fire. I loosed a sigh of relief. I really would have hated to die by my own blade.

"Another inch and I would be dead." He told us, gesturing to the wound. Clarke didn't say anything, so I followed her lead, much as I wanted to tell him how much of a crying shame that would be. I doubted he would appreciate my dry humour.

"Maybe you're not the commander of death after all."

Still, she said nothing.

"Oh, now she's quiet." He rolled his eyes.

"Why are you hiding from your own people?" Clarke finally spit out, clearly unable to maintain the silent act for any longer.

"Why did you run away from yours?" He shot back.

"She didn't." I snarled at him. "Not that's it's any concern of yours."

The scout looked at me, and narrowed his eyes, walking back over to the fire. He grabbed the now red hot blade.

"You know, a person in your position would be smart to keep their mouth shut and not draw attention to themselves." He replied, walking towards me carrying the knife. I pressed myself back against the pillar I was bound against, as he stopped right in front of me, the blade still glowing. "Otherwise, they could get hurt."

He pressed the blade against his own side, cauterizing the seeping wound Clarke had given him. He sucked in a breath as the pain must have been terrible. His muscled chest spasmed against it, but not an ounce of pain showed on his face. After a moment, he pulled the blade away, leaving only an angry red scar as a reminder of what had been. I tried not to throw up from the smell of burnt flesh. He crouched down in front of me, holding the knife.

"Your knife?" He asked, wiping the blood off on my trouser leg.

"Yes, so if you're going to stab me, I'd prefer you use your own. Nothing worse than getting stabbed by your own knife." The words poured out before I could bite them back. The side of his mouth quirked up.

"If situations were different, I might almost like you. But for now, I need you to shut up." He pulled the gag that was hanging around my neck back up into my mouth. If looks could kill he would have been a dead man. He turned to Clarke.

"The great Wanheda. Mountain slayer."

"I'm no one." Clarke told him emphatically.

"A lot of people out there looking for no one." He raised an eyebrow.

I was busy working at the gag in my mouth. It was loose, so with enough movement, I could manage to get it free enough for speech to be understandable.

"Look, you're obviously not loyal to the Ice Nation, so why are you taking me there? Whatever the Ice Queen is giving you, my people will offer you more." Clarke switched to the role of diplomat.

The scout glanced back at me as soon as Clarke mentioned her people.

"I doubt it. Not for someone who abandoned them. And besides, once I hand you over, I'm sure your people will give me enough ransom money for your friend here."

I shouted against the gag. "Yoummr am muffmmingmm demmadmman"

He looked at me, walked over, and grabbed the gag. He tightened it around my head with practiced efficiency.

"You don't know anything about me." Clarke hissed at him.

"I know you took the cowards way out." He told her. I tried to shout at him again, but he pulled the gag tight against my face until it cut into my cheeks. I settled for glaring him into oblivion, not that that helped much. He knew nothing of what Clarke had had to do.

"Like you're so different. You're in disguise, same as me. You're on the run, same as me. In the wilderness, same as me." She threw the words at him.

"I am nothing like you. I was banished. You," He paused, and pointed the knife at Clarke. "You had a choice. So no, I can't bring you to your people, because you're my way back to mine."

I mumbled against the gag again. The scout turned back to me.

"What could you possibly have to say?" He snarled, ripping the gag from my mouth.

"Why were you banished?" I worked my jaw around, pleased to have the gag out.

"Right, that's enough of that." He shoved the gag back in. I met Clarke's eye and shrugged. I guess our captor wasn't in a sharing mood. He walked over to Clarke and shoved the gag in her mouth too.

"I'm going to get food. If you're not here when I come back, I'll kill your friend while you watch." He told her. She only glared in return, biting into the thick fabric that bound her mouth.

For ten minutes I tugged and pulled at the woven ropes that bound my hands and only succeeded in making my wrists a bloody mess. I huffed in defeat, slouching against the pillar. Whoever the ice nation scout was, he certainly knew his way around some knots. I heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs, and went still, so the scout wouldn't think I had been trying to escape. Not that my hurt wrists wouldn't give me away.

"Tara?"

I had never been more relieved to hear that voice. Bellamy. Bellamy pulled a knife and cut through my ropes, before his eyes caught on the other person in the room with me.

"Clarke!" He exclaimed dropping the knife and running to her. He crouched down in front of her, while I pulled the gag from my mouth and got rid of the remaining ropes tying me to the pole. He brushed her hair gently out of her eyes, before removing the gag from her mouth.

"I'm going to get you out of here." He breathed, sounding as though he couldn't really believe that after months of searching, Clarke was in front of him. I immediately felt guilt start to eat at me that I had let him worry about her for so long, before reminding myself I was just keeping my promise. Clarke had asked for time and space, and I had been determined to give her that so she could heal. Not like what had happened with Jasper.

I stepped forward to untie Clarke's hands as Bellamy was still tracing her face, looking at her in wonder.

"Look out!" Clarke suddenly cried. I saw why instantly. The ice nation scout was back and he had gotten the jump on Bellamy.

"No!" I cried, leaping forward away from Clarke. The scout had Bellamy on his back his hand went to his belt for his knife. My knife. Before I knew what I was doing, I darted forward to grab the knife Bellamy had dropped, but the scout was faster. His knife was already at Bellamy's throat by the time my hand had closed around the handle of the other one.

"No, no, no. Please." Clarke sobbed. "Not him. Please. I'll do anything. I'll stop fighting. I'll go quietly."

The scout looked at her and considered, and then his gaze fell on me. I dropped to my knees, and placed my hands together in front of me, as though presenting them to be bound, and dropped the knife I had snatched. It landed on the ground with a resounding clang.

"Please." I begged. "Not him. You won't have anymore trouble from me either. I swear it. Please, please, spare him." Tears leaked from my eyes as I glanced at Bellamy on the ground. I could see the panic in his eyes for his own life, but also his fear for ours. Begrudgingly, the scout pulled the blade from Bellamy's throat, and I loosed a sigh I wasn't aware I had been holding. I thought all was going to be ok for just a moment until the scout brought the blade down into Bellamy's leg. He screamed.

"Don't follow us." He hissed, kicking him in the jaw, sending him into unconsciousness. I scrambled forward towards him.

"Bellamy, Bell, Bell, wake up." I said his name, hoping it would wake him up. I quickly ripped a strip of fabric off my shirt and tied it around his leg to stop the worst of the bleeding. It was all I could do before strong hands grabbed me and tied my still sore wrists together once more.

"You didn't have to do that." I told the scout.

"You really think I don't know that look in his eyes?" The scout replied. "He would have followed us into hell itself."

I glanced at Clarke as she stared down and Bellamy's prone form with worry and anguish.

"If I'm not going to fight, you can let Tara go." Clarke told the scout. The scout tilted his head, considering, his sharp blue eyes intelligent.

"I don't think so. I think I'd be a fool to take Wanheda at her word. C'mon. It's time to go."

The ice nation scout dragged the two of us through the forest for a few hours until we came to what I could only describe as a city.

"Welcome to Polis." The scout huffed, pulling us forward towards the large tower that stood in the centre. In front of the building, grounder guards stood assessing everyone who came in.

"Prince Roan of Azgeda. You can tell your leader that I have Wanheda." The scout told to the one guard. I turned to stare at him in disbelief. A _prince?!_ Not just any prince but the ice nation prince? A girl just couldn't catch a break these days.

" _Who is the other?"_ A guard asked in trigedasleng.

" _SkaiKru_. _She can go to the dungeous."_ He said, handing me off like I was trash. I fought against the hold of the guard, shouting into the gag to let me go with Clarke. She was my friend and I needed to go with her.

"Stop fighting." The guard pressed a blade against my neck. "I have no love for sky people. Wanheda burned my brother alive."

I swallowed, hoping I wasn't about to die right here right now.

"But Heda wants a coalition. I won't be the one spill the blood that starts a war." He continued. I turned to look at him, as he dragged me towards the cells. War paint streaked across what could have been described as a handsome face, were it not for the thick scar running from below his eye to his mouth.

"Welcome to your new home." He grinned, shoving me into the barred room, that was entirely brick except for a small chamber pot in the corner and pile of straw in the other.

"Homey." I muttered as he pulled the gag from my mouth and freed my hands. He slammed the bars shut, locking me in. I could only hope that Bellamy was ok and would get word to my dad. I had never needed his help more.


	26. Ye who enter here

Prison cells sucked. I couldn't decide if this one was better or worse than my cell on the ark. My cell on the ark had a bed for one thing. All I had here was a pile of straw. On the ark I had a functional bathroom. Here I had...well...I didn't want to think about what I assumed was a chamber pot in the corner. To be fair, this cell had abundant oxygen which was a plus the ark didn't have going for it. And it had definitely ranked higher than the cages in mount weather as at least I could stretch my legs out, stand, and walk around. Still, I was getting sick of being locked up. I resolved to myself that the next time I crossed paths with Miller, he wasn't getting away from me until he taught me how to successfully pick a lock.

I paced around the cell, worrying about Clarke. Chances were if Roan had brought her to the ice nation queen, she was already dead. My heart tightened in my chest, clinging to the small hope that maybe no news was good news. Surely if they had killed my friend, these people were spiteful enough to come and rub it in my face. Maybe leave her head in my cell for company. From what I had heard from Lincoln, I wouldn't put it past ice nation, but I certainly wasn't going to give them any ideas. Besides, the guard who had clearly had a grudge against all "Skaikru" for torching his brother didn't seem to have the scars Roan did, which is what Clarke had used to peg him as ice nation. Not to mention the fact that he had mentioned "Heda". My trigedasleng was rusty at the best of times, but I was pretty sure that meant commander, not queen. I huffed out a frustrated breath and collapsed onto the pile of straw. Down the hall I could hear someone singing. I smiled to slightly to myself, despite the circumstances. My mom had always hummed a tune or sang while doing small tasks as well. I listened to what I assumed was a guard hum and mumble his way through what I'm sure was a grounder classic. I decided that this was better than my cell on the ark simply because I had some entertainment here. On the ark, all I had had were my thoughts while I sat around in my cold pristine cell.

Suddenly the whistling and humming came to a quick stop and I peered through the bars of my cell to see what the disturbance was. I didn't have to wait long as the disturbance was thrust into my cell alongside me.

"Didn't think I'd see you again so quickly." I goaded the Prince of Azgeda. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do as he turned his piercing blue eyes on me. I could see the fury in them.

"I guess things didn't go according to plan." I tacked on to my original statement. "Is Clarke still alive?"

"You talk too much." He snarled.

"So you've said. Is Clarke alive?" I stood my ground. At least here, neither of us had any weapons, though I was still not sure the guards would help me, should Roan decide my face was better used as a punching bag. Tension bunched in his shoulders, until he let out a resigned sigh.

"She was when I left."

"Left to come join me in a prison cell?" I inquired, genuinely curious. He rolled his eyes at my comment, and returned to gripping the bars angrily and staring through them at the guards.

"I take it Mother dearest wasn't too pleased?" I wanted more information and even though I had my suspicions that we weren't anywhere near the ice nation queen, I wanted confirmation. Playing dumb seemed like a good start.

"If we were with the queen, Wanheda would be dead and you would have had your fingers sent back to your people as a message to pay your ransom." Roan snarled. I curled my fingers into fists instinctively, not even wanting to entertain the idea of them getting chopped off. "Maybe I should have gone to her after all."

"Why didn't you?" I asked after a beat. Roan, unsurprisingly, didn't answer. Instead, he chose to glare at me.

Feeling bold, I asked again. "Clearly you could have. Why bring her here? Why bring me here?"

"You know, just because we're in a cell doesn't mean I can't find a way to make you shut up." His voice was menacing. I figured he had probably had a long day of kidnapping and murdering and perhaps I ought to stop trying my luck. I held my hands up in fake surrender. We coexisted for a short while in non-amicable silence. I sat cross legged on the straw and he continued to grip the bars and stare out of them as if he could bend the metal by sheer force of will. My curiosity was bursting and I was just about to risk it and pester him with more questions when a guard showed up at the door.

"You're being moved." She pointed at me and spoke in rough english. I pushed myself to my feet figuring it best not to fight, being in a city full of people I couldn't trust and all. I had just started to walk to the door when Roan reached through the bars and grabbed the guard. She had been standing just a bit too close.

"You tell Heda that I had nothing to do with this." He hissed at her. "I am loyal, and she will honour our deal."

The guard shoved him back and drew her knife. "Don't make me restrain you."

"I'd like to see you try."

I could taste the tension in the air as I inched my way forward towards the cell door.

"Can you open this?" I asked the guard as I shook the lock, my eyes trained on the unstable Azgeda prince.

"Not while he is threatening the commander." She huffed back to me. I threw a glare at him over my shoulder as the guard marched away. I bit back my annoyance as long as I could, but in the end, it won and boiled over.

"Asshat." I muttered, earning another glare. Oh yes, I was definitely winning him over. None of my other prisons had had cell mates, and I was pretty certain this one was going to try and shank me in my sleep if I kept antagonising him. He shoved his long hair out of his face, and took a seat on the ground across the cell from me, and continued glaring at me.

"What are you glaring at me for?" I snapped. "I didn't do this to you. In fact, as I recall, you kidnapped me."

"The commander promised to lift my banishment, if I delivered Wanheda safely. I did. And here I am." He replied, his tone verging on sass. "I _think_ I'm allowed to be angry."

"And what does that have to do with me."

"If anyone is getting moved from this cell it's me." He huffed. "Even as a banished prince, I'm still a prince."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"Wait, you think you should get out of here because...you're better than me?" I laughed. He considered me - head to toe covered in mud, cuts and scrapes - and shrugged.

"I'm not the one who ran away from my people. There is no honour in that."

"You think…" I shook my head in disbelief. "I didn't run away from my people. I was meeting Clarke to give her supplies because she is my friend and I care about her. Neither of us are outcasts."

"She left."

"Yeah, because she needed time. And as her friend, I intended to make sure she could heal."

"From what she had to do at the mountain."

I paused, thinking of Finn, with his soft floppy hair and warm brown eyes. "...Yeah. Because of the mountain."

Roan narrowed his eyes picking up on the half-truth. Luckily, before I could give away any more secrets accidentally, the guard returned.

"You are _both_ being moved." She huffed, clearly unimpressed with the decision, but motivated to carry it out anyways. "And your new rooms have showers."

I shot to my feet in an instant. After a day and a half of being covered in mud, I was getting sick of the itching, not to mention the smell. A shower would be the perfect thing. Roan seemed to be thinking the same, as he acknowledged this with a small grunt of satisfaction.

We were led to separate rooms in the very tall building in the centre of the city. It was very obvious that we were still prisoners, as guards were everywhere, watching carefully and with mistrust in their eyes.

"Where is Clarke?" I asked the female guard who was leading us.

"She will be staying near the commander."

"Can I see her?"

"If the commander permits it."

I huffed out a sigh of disappointment that everything seemed to rely on this mysterious commander. All I knew about Lexa was that she had broken faith with Clarke at Mount Weather, royally screwing us over, not to mention the fact that there was a kill order out on Lincoln. As far as first impressions went, I didn't have a very high opinion of her. Still, as I was dropped off at my new room, I immediately decided that _this_ was my new favourite prison cell. A big four poster bed stood in the center of the room, covered in furs, and there was an adjoining bathroom. Sure, there was a guard at the door, but this...I could get used to this. I immediately stripped down and showered away the filth of my journey and imprisonment. The hot water ran against my skin, almost painful, but somehow cleansing at the same time. I must have been in the shower for at least 20 minutes before the water shut off. I frowned. I guess they had water restrictions in Polis. Or maybe just for prisoners. Still, when I exited the bathroom, I was even more pleased to see that I had been given new clothes. The thought of putting my mud caked clothes back on had not been appealing, I slipped on the leggings and dark red tunic, before pulling the leather jacket overtop. I had just started braiding my hair back when the door opened and Clarke walked into my room.

"You're alive!" I exclaimed, running over to hug her. She returned my embrace.

"For now." Clarke's words had an anger under them.

"For now?"

"Lexa is hosting a summit with Skaikru." Clarke told me.

"Isn't that a good thing?" I asked, thinking that surely anything that didn't lead to war would be positive.

"I want to believe it is, but I can't trust her." Clarke confided as she began to pace. "Not after what she did."

I pressed my lips together in a thin line - something my dad had always done when he was thinking - and considered.

"At the time, she was doing what she believed best for her people." I told Clarke. Clarke spun, looking ready to spit fire and I held my hands up in a gesture of complacence before continuing. "It doesn't mean she was right. And speaking as someone who has never met her, I can't say I like her. But if she did what was best for her people then, can't we assume that maybe she also doesn't want war? That she doesn't want her people killed fighting ours?"

Clarke frowned as she considered.

"But what if she decides that the best thing for her people is to wipe ours out? We aren't exactly thousands strong." Clarke considered. "No, what we need is for her to care about us as her people as well."

"You mean recognise her as commander." I laid it out. "Who is coming to the summit?"

Depending on who it was, we may have a chance at peace.

"No idea. I know my mother will be there though."

"So likely my dad will as well." I nodded. "This is good. If we can work this out now, no one else has to die."

"If Lexa will listen to reason." Clarke chided bitterly. I tilted my head to consider her.

"Does she listen to you?"

Clarke scoffed. "If she cared about my opinion, she wouldn't have left me at mount weather."

"That's not exactly true." I told her. "She chose her people, but it doesn't mean she doesn't respect you. And she did save you from the ice nation queen."

"Whose side are you on, anyways?" Clarke snapped at me, before quickly apologising. "Sorry, sorry. You have a point. She just….she makes me so angry. Bringing me here like I'm something to be fetched. After what she did, thinking I would just forgive and forget."

The face of Wells Jaha popped into my minds eye for a moment, as I remembered all he had gone through as he tried to earn Clarke's forgiveness, despite having done nothing wrong in the first place. I let loose a small laugh.

"What?" Clarke asked, turning to me.

"It's just, forgive and forget isn't something I would associate with you at all." I told Clarke. "You can't even forgive yourself half the time."

"You think I'm being too hard on her." Clarke concluded angrily.

"No, I don't. As I said, I've never met her, and I can't say I like her. I just...I know you Clarke. Don't let revenge get in the way of peace. Especially if she cares about you in a way that makes her listen."

Clarke frowned taking in my advice. "I'll think about it."

I sighed and flopped on the bed.

"When is this summit anyways?" I asked, curious. I wanted to see my Dad. I wanted to know if Bellamy was ok, despite the stab wound to the leg.

"Tonight."

I raised my eyebrows in shock.

"And am I on room arrest then, or can we go explore the city?" I was tired of cages. I wanted to walk on my own two feet, free of any leash or restraint, and just explore. Finally, Clarke gave me a small smile.

"I think we can go see a bit of what Polis has to offer." She smiled begrudgingly. "I'm sure our guards won't mind a walk either."

We had just stepped out of the building when Clarke saw Roan heading up the steps towards us.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the _Prince_ of Azgeda."

I was surprised she recognised him because I barely did. It seemed that a shower and a haircut could work wonders. He looked at me and seemed to be thinking the same thing as far as I could tell.

"Barely recognise you without all that dirt." He commented. "I need a moment alone with Wanheda."

I rolled my eyes, and crossed my arms.

"Yeah ok, _That's_ going to happen." Sarcasm was thick in my voice. I could hardly believe he expected to be left alone with Clarke after kidnapping her and dragging us here in the first place. A dangerous look crossed his face as though he couldn't believe I had the audacity to deny him, but Clarke put her hand on my shoulder gently and nodded.

"It's ok, Tara. I'll be fine. I'll see you tonight at the summit."

I narrowed my eyes at the annoyingly good looking prince in warning.

"Relax, _klirfetcha,_ she'll be fine." He smirked slightly at me.

" _Klirfetcha?"_ I asked, as I walked by him on the stairs. He didn't respond, but his smirk turned into a full blown grin as I glared.

Once in town I asked my guard.

"It means something similar to guard dog, or guardian angel." He told me as I walked among the people of Polis. "I don't know if you have an equal word for it in english."

I wandered through the city, eating a bit of fried meat on a stick which my guard had paid for, and sipping a fermented tea until I saw the sun start to set in the sky. We hurried back to get ready for the summit. At the door of the building my guard stopped to talk with some other grounders before turning to me.

"I will take you to your people. They are here for the summit." He told me. I was led to a room and was thrilled to see who was inside.

"Tara, thank god you're alive." My dad rushed forward to give me a hug. Over his shoulder I could see Clarke and her mom as well.

"I have a way of getting out of tricky situations." I told my dad, smiling.

"Well, one day you'll have to share it with me." He laughed, relief clear on his face.

"It's called 'blind luck'." I grinned, and he looked to the ceiling as tho exasperated and relieved all at the same time.

"When does the summit begin?" I asked Clarke.

"In 10 minutes."

Her hair had been braided extensively and eye makeup was thickly applied making her look near ethereal.

"And...what will you do?" I prodded gently. Clarke looked between me, her mom and my dad.

"I will bow to Lexa as Wanheda, and we will become the 13th clan." She nodded, resolute. "This is how we get to peace."

"I never wanted this for you." Abby told Clarke, looking at her daughter as though she weren't someone she recognised. It reminded me of what my dad had said to me, about how we weren't supposed to have to make these choices.

"I know, mom." Clarke told her. "But I am strong enough to do this. I am strong enough to lead and be an ambassador between our two people."

"So you'll be staying here?" I asked Clarke.

"For a time." She nodded. "I have to make sure she keeps her word."

"Then I will stay with you." I told her.

"Tara, I can't ask you to do that." Clarke started.

"Ask, don't ask. It doesn't matter. You are my friend, and I'm going to watch out for you."

Before she could respond, a knock came at the door indicating it was time for the ceremony to begin.

Abby, my dad and I left Clarke behind in the room and entered the great hall. I ended up standing beside Roan.

"Did you have a good conversation?" I asked, a hint of warning in my tone.

"Not as good as I would have hoped, _Klirfetcha._ " He whispered back.

"I guess things don't always work out the way we want them to." I responded, curious as to what he had wanted to discuss with Clarke in the first place. He gave a soft grunt in response as the doors opened and Clarke walked in. She walked to the front of the room and knelt before Lexa, officially turning us into the 13th clan. Everyone followed suit, getting to their knees.

"Hail warriors of the 12 clans." Lexa's voice carried throughout the room.

"Hail, the commander of the blood." The grounders echoed back.

"All rise."

Everyone got back to their feet as Lexa continued her address.

"We welcome Skaikru to our halls in the spirit of friendship and harmony, and we welcome Clarke kom Skaikru... Legendary Wanheda, Mountain Slayer. The reason for this summit has changed. We are not here to negotiate a treaty with the Skaikru, but rather to initiate them into the coalition." She said, authority ringing in her voice. "They will become the 13th clan."

"To symbolize this, the leader of SkaiKru must bear our mark." She added, indicating to a branding iron that was resting in flame.

"Yikes." I muttered beneath my breath. My dad heard me, but only gave me a small nod of encouragement as he was the one to step forward to take the mark. I glanced at Abby, surprised, but clearly something had changed if now my Dad was considered chancellor. So much could happen in such a short amount of time. I was sure that wherever Patrick was now he was irritated beyond all belief if this was something that had been declared publicly.

My dad pressed his lips together into a thin line and let out a muffled groan as the iron seared the mark into the flesh of his forearm. I grimaced in empathy, and when they took the iron away, an angry red brand remained. The mark of the 13th clan.

Lexa was about to open her mouth to speak again when the door burst open and Bellamy stormed in, followed by Octavia, Indra, and Pike, who I hadn't seen since the ark.

"Bellamy?" My dad turned to him. "What the hell is going on?"

"The summit is a trap." Bellamy barked out. "We need to get you out of here."

"What is the meaning of this?!" Titus demanded from Lexa's side.

"It's ice nation. They're planning an assassination." Bellamy insisted, stepping up to Clarke's side. I turned and faced Roan.

"Did you know anything about this, _Prince_ of _Azgeda_?" I whispered angrily.

"A banished prince? You think they tell me anything? No, _Klirfetcha_ , I have no idea what is going on." He hissed back.

"Seems like a prime way to undo your banishment." I argued. "Especially since Lexa went back on her deal with you."

"If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead." He responded in anger.

"Watch it." Bellamy growled, stepping forward towards Roan, clearly overhearing the last part of our conversation.

Roan glanced at Bellamy and scoffed, turning back to me. "Case and point. He's still alive, isn't he. Think, _Klirfetcha_ , I want peace between our people."

"You weren't so peaceful when you were stabbing me in the leg." Bellamy retorted before I could get a word in. Just then, Raven's familiar voice broke through the radio attached to Bellamy's leg.

"Bellamy, Bellamy." She sobbed. "Come in. The grounders. They attacked Mount Weather. Sinclaire and I are the only ones left. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

I met Bellamy's eye as the message relayed.

"Was Gina…" I couldn't get the question out, but the pain in Bellamy's eyes let me know the answer anyways. Gina had been there. Gina was dead.

"You should have never moved your people back into Mount Weather. The Ice Nation did what Lexa was too weak to do." An ice nation warrior stepped forward and stood in front of Lexa.

"This," she hissed, "this is an act of war. Sentries! Arrest the ice nation delegates. Including the Prince."

Guards leapt into action, restraining the ice nation delegates and dragging them away through the doors. My dad grabbed my arm in a panic.

"We need to get home. If they attacked Mount Weather, Arkadia could be next."

I nodded, worry for Monty, Harper and Jasper flooding my mind.

"Clarle, I-" I turned to explain why I couldn't stay, but I didn't need to.

"Go." She told me. "You've been a better friend than I deserve, but I'm not the one who needs you right now."

I nodded, and followed my dad out the door in a haste. Octavia followed closely behind, her sword still drawn. War was coming whether we wanted it or not.


	27. Watch the Thrones

"What if we get caught?" Harper asked, as I pressed my ear against the thin metal panel to listen in on the meeting. On the ark the metal panelling had been great for keeping oxygen levels steady in all rooms while ensuring the space-craft was light and durable. On the ground they no longer served any purpose aside from being conveniently easy to create secret passages out of and eavesdrop on important conversations, as long as you had someone who knew how to use an acetylene torch handy. As soon as we had arrived back at arkadia, I had grabbed Harper and the torch, and we quickly cut our way into the old ventilation shafts from an old storage room. I needed to know what they were planning on doing about this attack. Bellamy hadn't said a word the whole trip back. Being rebuffed by Clarke and losing Gina all in the space of 10 minutes did not appear to be sitting well with him. He had alternated between what appeared to be shock and anger, before finally settling on anger.

"I'm sorry...about Gina." I had whispered to him in the back of the Rover. He had just clenched his jaw and nodded once, briefly, while keeping his eyes, still shining with unshed tears, staring resolutely forward. After that, I had sat beside my dad, wondering what chaos was in store for us when we reached Arkadia.

"The chancellor is furious that you knew where Clarke was and didn't tell her." My dad whispered to me.

"What?" I had whipped my head around to him, glancing sideways at Abby.

"I've talked her down from pursuing punishment, but I'm just warning you not to push it with her." He had replied. "Clarke is her daughter after all."

It had been hard not to roll my eyes at that. I knew that Abby loved Clarke, but not respecting her daughters need for space and time to heal from a traumatic event was an odd way of showing it. If Abby brought it up, I for sure would be telling her that. Anxiety had churned in my stomach the closer we got and I found myself glancing at Indra and Octavia, who were deep in conversation.

"Lexa will handle it." I caught a snippet of what Indra was whispering.

"But Pike…" Octavia had started and then I couldn't hear a word anymore over the increase in the engine as we went uphill.

Pike was driving the rover, and I didn't know what to make of our old Earth Skills professor. He seemed different. Hardened. And that was saying something because I still recalled the time he had beat up John Murphy in front of the class as a 'lesson'. Unease ate at me until I decided I needed to know what they would be discussing. At least then I could make educated decisions.

"We won't get caught." I reassured Harper as we waited for the council meeting to begin. "And if we do, you can blame me. Apparently Abby has it out for me anyway, since I concealed Clarke's location."

Harper's eyebrows went up in shock at that. She was about to say something more, until we heard the rustle of chairs.

"Shh, shh.." I hushed. "They're starting." I flipped open the small notebook I had brought so I could make notes, and remember the important details.

"Is _that_ a good idea?" Harper whispered looking at the book.

"I'll be careful not to leave it lying around." I grinned, pressing my ear against the cold metal.

" ...internal self-destruct mechanism. It worked as designed. 49 of our citizens were lost." My dad's voice was a bit muffled, but understandable for the most part. I scribbled down, internal self-destruct mechanism in my notes.

"When do we strike back?" Pike's cutting tone demanded blood, that much was certain.

"We don't. Ice nation took credit, and the Commander will bring them to justice." Abby sounded resolute.

"So no we are waiting for grounders to punish grounders?" Pike was furious. I glanced at Harper. The worry on her face matched my own. Especially when Pike continued his rant.

"They only understand one thing - strength. We need to hit back, hard. Leave no survivors."

No survivors?! I scribbled in my notebook. If Pike got his way, I needed to warn Octavia to get Lincoln the hell out of here. It didn't sound like it was going to be grounder friendly for very long. Though, in hindsight, it had hardly been so before.

"We really should go." Harper whispered again. It was clear that spying made her nervous. I ran my hand through my hair, listening at the wall, and then nodded in agreement. It sounded like the meeting was over anyways.

"Thank god Pike will never be chancellor." I whispered to Harper.

"He's a pot just waiting to boil over." She agreed as we slipped through the ventilation shaft. "Are you coming to the memorial later?"

"Wouldn't miss it." I nodded, as we split off in the hallway. I stopped at my room and kicked my boots off, collapsing on the bed with a sigh. Flipping open the notebook, I stared at my writing and started to think. Internal self destruct mechanism. Surely something like that could only be triggered by someone who had understanding of Mount Weather, as well as insight into their protocols. The ice nation had claimed credit, but how had they gotten their intel. All the mountain men were dead. Cage had run, but Lincoln had made sure to end that threat. He had even shown me the body to help put my mind at ease. I pursed my lips. Pike certainly wanted war with every grounder, and this seemed like a good way to get it, but I doubted he would kill his own people to instigate it. Maybe there was a traitor in his team? They had been in ice nation territory. Maybe someone had been captured and turned spy. Thinking back to the summit, I remembered Bellamy calling for Echo, the grounder who had been in the cage beside us at Mount Weather. She was ice nation. If she had led them away from Mount Weather, she would know who the spy was. I wrote her name down, with a question mark beside it. As far as I knew she would be back in Polis. Maybe there was some way to get a message to Clarke. I'd have to ask my Dad about it. My pen tapped against my lip as I continued to think, until a knock at the door ended my process abruptly.

"Who is it?" I asked, shoving the notebook under my mattress. Not the best place, but not the worst for short notice.

"Monty."

Sighing in relief, I walked to the door in socked feet and opened it.

"Hey. What's up?" I asked.

"You're not going to like it." Monty was rife with anxiety. It was pouring off of him in waves. I raised my eyebrows waiting for him to continue.

"It's Jasper."

I sighed, arching my neck back and staring at the ceiling.

"What's he done?"

"It's more like what he's planning on doing." Monty clarified. "He isn't going to come to the Mount Weather Memorial."

"What?" I asked incredulous. "But 49 people died."

"Try telling him that. He's so wrapped up in his own misery, he forgets other people are hurting too." Monty snapped. "I just...I miss my best friend."

I nodded and was about to respond when I saw Jasper out of the corner of my eye down the hall.

"Jasper." I called after him, racing out of my room. Jasper turned and looked, and then kept walking. Behind me, Monty was running as well.

"Jasper, wait!" I shouted, following him outside.

"What?!" He hissed, turning to face Monty and I. "What do you want?! Have you not done enough?"

"What's this about you not going to the memorial?" I asked him. "Those people, they were your friends too."

"Just get away from me. Leave me alone." He snarled. The words stung, and hurt flickered across my features.

Monty shoved Jasper, who nearly tripped backwards over his own feet thanks to his drunken stupor. "Don't be an ass. She wants to help you. We both do."

"Oh. I'm an ass." Jasper shook his head, scoffing. "I'm not the one who's throwing a memorial 3 months too late."

"Jasper…" I started, but stopped when he threw me a scathing look.

"You can't fix this, Tara. Nothing will bring her back." He turned and stormed off to a hidden part of the fence. I glanced down at my feet only now noticing I was still only wearing socks.

"I'll follow him." Monty told me. "I'll bring him back."

"Be careful." I murmured. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too."

Monty gave me a quick hug and stormed after our very lost friend. Whatever darkness he had stepped into, it was going to be a long uphill battle for all of us who chose to help him. Sighing, I had turned to walk back inside when I noticed the trouble at the gate. A group of grounders who looked like they could barely keep their feet were being harassed by guards. Octavia noticed as well and marched over to check out the trouble.

"The chancellor told them that they could come here for medical help." She screamed at the guard who was harassing Lincoln's friend, Nyko.

"You bring them in then. You're one of them."

"Beats being one of you." I heard her mutter under her breath, as she slung the arm of a sick woman over her shoulder to help her stand.

" _Ai na help yu_." I stretched out my hand to a little boy who looked weak with fever. He looked at his mom and she nodded, as he took my hand. He had only taken about 2 steps when he collapsed. His mom started frantically speaking in trigedeslang, and though I didn't understand a word, I knew he needed help immediately.

"Don't worry. I'll get him to the doctor." I rested my hand on her shoulder to reassure her, as I scooped her little boy up and ran inside.

"Abby, Abby." I cried, as I raced into the infirmary. "He needs help."

She glanced at the grounder boy, taking in his visible symptoms. A shine of sweat on his brow, red streaking up his arm from what appeared to be a poorly healed cut.

"Set him down. Quick. Here." She instructed. "He has blood poisoning. He will need a !" She hollered. Immediately her assistant was by her side, hooking up a blood bag and an IV. I turned to see the boys mom standing by the door of the infirmary, looking on with terror. I regarded her with sympathy.

" _Ogeda na na op._ " I smiled. "All will be well." I led her over to take a seat by her child and she held his hand while the doctors worked.

"Your language is coming along." Octavia noted, having overheard the last part.

"Practise makes perfect." I grinned in return. "Are you going to the memorial?"

"No. I'm going to stay and translate for Jackson. Better to help the living than mourn the dead." She said.

"Fair enough." I commented.

"Bellamy won't understand." She stated flatley. I didn't know what to say to that.

"He's just hurting right now." I replied, hoping that it conveyed some semblance of truth. I knew the Blake siblings had a very complicated relationship.

"Who of us isn't hurting. Who of us hasn't lost someone." Octavia replied. "If you're going to the memorial, you probably ought to go find some shoes. Or at least some clean socks."

I glanced at my feet, noticing the mud stained socks, and threw her a small smile.

"You're right about that."

Twenty minutes later I was sitting in a chair beside Harper and Monroe at the memorial. It was proceeding as a memorial ought to - very somber, very sad. Bellamy stood and spoke for Gina and I could see the tears that he refused to let spill shining in his eyes. I wondered if he had spoken to anyone about what had happened. Anger and grief were dangerous things when they were left to fester. Pike stood to call the next name, when all of a sudden, Patrick burst through the doors, heading straight for Pike.

"Ugh." I couldn't help the sound of disgust that escaped me when I saw his beautiful face. Beside me, Harper smirked in solidarity. She knew our past extensively, having delved deep into it with me during an impromptu girls night, complementary of a stolen bottle of moonshine.

"Grounders. An army. 300 strong." He relayed to Pike. "They're less than 2 clicks away."

"We know." Abby cut him off, rising to her feet. Beside her, my dad followed. Patrick eyed him with distaste.

"Indra radioed." He told us all. "They are an army sent by the commander to protect us."

"What?" Pike snapped. "You gave one of those barbarians our radios?"

"Are we under attack?" Hannah Green, Monty's mom, shouted out into the room.

"We are not under attack." My dad spoke clear and loud. "The encampment outside Arkadia is a peacekeeping force to protect us from the Ice Nation."

"Even you can't be that naive, Marcus." Pike rolled his eyes.

"You'd be surprised how naive a Kane can be." Patrick chimed in, eyeing me. I glared in return. Things were getting heated. The tension in the air was palpable.

"We cannot let anger drive our policy!" Abby shouted, trying to be heard above the clash of the crowd.

"Anger is our policy!" Boomed Pike.

"Seems healthy. Good Policy." Harper muttered to me. My lips quirked up in a smile. I would have laughed had someone not picked up a rock from the memorial table and hurled it at Lincoln. I didn't see who threw it, but the wicked gleam in Patricks eye when he saw blood running down Lincoln's head, gave me a good idea as to who had.

"You - you-" Anger stole my words away as I launched a punch towards his face. Harper saw what I intended and grabbed me before I could connect.

"Tara, you can't. He's still a guard." She whispered frantically. Seeing the smirk he threw me as Abby rushed towards Lincoln, made me want to just face whatever consequences came.

"He could have killed him!" I replied angrily, tears shining in my eyes.

"We'll get him back. I promise. But be smart about it. You know what the punishment is for attacking a guard."

Clenching my teeth together, I nodded. I did know. Shock lashing. Miller had been lashed the other day for attacking Patrick's friend Nick who had said some comment. Even after the lashing he wouldn't tell me what was said, only that it involved me and my time in mount weather, and if he had the choice, he would still punch Nick again.

"We do not fight our own people!" Pike's voice cut through the noise. "Our real enemies are out there!"

"I've heard enough of this bullshit." I snarled to Harper. She nodded in agreement, and followed me as I stormed out of the room.

"It might have been worth it." I told her as we walked. "To punch him."

"It's what he wants." She replied. "And you know he's been Pike's lapdog ever since he got to camp. No sense giving him a chance to bite."

I knew she was making sense, but anger turned my vision red. I took a deep breath and then let it out again.

"Fine. But when he breaks his leg completely "by accident" on his next patrol, you'll cover for me?" I asked hesitantly.

She grinned. "Heck, I'll help you dig the damn trip hole."

We went to the mess hall to get a drink to toast to the fallen/ drown our troubles of the day.

"I'm serious! You wouldn't believe the look on his face when I told him…" Harper's voice trailed off as she looked at the group who just entered.

"What is it?" I asked.

"No, don't turn. I think something bad is happening."

"Why?" I asked, spinning in my seat to look behind me.

"No, no, I said 'Don't turn.' not 'Turn." she hissed, kicking me beneath the table. Across the mess hall, Pike at a table with Bellamy, Patrick, Hannah and some others from Farm station.

"Are they...recruiting him?" I asked, confusion clear in my voice.

"Whatever this is, it can't be good. We should be on the lookout tonight. I wouldn't put it past Pike to try something." Harper pressed her lips together. Across the way Bellamy and Pike lifted a shot and toasted. Patrick grinned and slapped Bellamy on the back. I grimaced.

"Are they friends now?!" I was incredulous. Bellamy hated Patrick, or he had, at least as far as I knew. Maybe one drink with Pike was all it took to form an eternal bromance. I hated that thought so I shoved it far from my mind.

"We'll keep an eye on the gate tonight. It's the only way out for that many people." I told Harper.

"And two of us are going to stop it?!" She didn't seem convinced. I turned to her and shrugged.

"Four of us?"

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Who else is going to help?"

"Monroe maybe? Lincoln definitely."

"Should we ask Octavia?" Harper questioned.

"No, her relationship with her brother is complicated enough without us getting involved in it."

Harper sighed. "4 against 10 it is."

That evening, we stood by sides of the gates, watching, waiting, and praying that we were wrong. We stood for about 45 minutes in the dark, in silence. The silence was broken by Monroe whispering to me, "How long are we planning on staying."

"Until we see someone, or don't see someone." I replied, fingering the handgun strapped to my thigh. It had been Clarke's when she was in the wilderness, but she had given it to me in Polis. I figured it may come in handy tonight.

"I'm not seeing a lot of people right now." She responded.

"We're giving it another hour. At least." I told her. Content now that she had a time frame, Monroe went back to watching the gate. Luckily for her, she didn't have to wait much longer. Unfortunately that meant that Harper and I had been correct in our guess that something bad was afoot. The four of us stepped out in front of the gate.

"What's this?" Pike shouted from the front of his band.

"We can't let you do this." I told them. Patrick was standing behind Pike, and he rolled his eyes.

"I'd like to see you try and stop us, Princess." He drawled. Bellamy silenced him with a look before stepping forward to stand beside Pike.

"Get out of the way, Tara." He warned. "You all need to step aside right now."

I looked at him as if he were a crazy person. Essentially he was. There was no way in hell that the Bellamy Blake who was my friend would be threatening me right now.

"I can't do that." My voice was strong and steady.

"What are the guns for." Harper chimed in.

"Do we have a problem?" Pike demanded.

"No." Bellamy snarled, staring me down. He shifted his fiery glance to Monroe. "I have always done what is best for us. Trust that I am doing that now. Monroe."

Monroe glanced at me, before she looked at Bellamy again.

"Sorry Tara." She told me, before walking off.

"Harper?" Bellamy looked to her. She looked uncomfortable under the weight of his gaze, but stood her ground.

"You're still a guard, and if you don't leave, I'll have you suspended." He barked. She faltered at that, as I knew being a guard meant everything to Harper. On the ark she would never have been able to do it, but down here, it was her dream.

"I- I-" She looked at me with regret. "I'm sorry Lincoln. Tara, I-"

"It's ok." I said, not taking my eyes off Bellamy, as Harper left the area. "I'm not so easy to bully." I told him. He was about to say something when Pike stepped forward again.

"Lincoln, get out of the way. If you want to prove you are one of us, you will stand down."

"I'm not moving." He hissed.

"Why should he be one of us? With the way you are acting, I'm ashamed to be called one of you." I spit at them.

"Fine by me, outcast." Patrick cutting voice spoke up. "Go join the grounders."

"Oh, go float yourself." I snarled.

"We said, get out of the way, grounder!" One of Pikes men hissed and rushed at Lincoln. In two quick moves, Lincoln had disarmed the man and held him in a headlock. Pulling a knife from my boot, I handed it to Lincoln and he pressed it to the man's throat.

"Guns on the ground, NOW!" Lincoln shouted. Patrick glared at me.

"Do as he says." Pike instructed.

"You and your damn knives." Patrick scowled, following Pike's orders.

"Patrick, shut up. Lincoln, put the knife down. No one has to get hurt." Bellamy stepped forward closer to us.

"No one has to get hurt." I scoffed. "Oh, that's rich. As if you and your kill mob aren't on your way to murder 300 defenceless people who were sent here to protect us!"

"I am doing this to protect us." Bellamy snarled, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the gate.

"Yeah, ok. Tell me something Bellamy, is this what Gina would have wanted?" It was a hurtful comment, and I knew it, but it didn't make it any less true. His grip on my arm tightened.

"Gina is dead. I'm just making sure it doesn't happen to anyone else." His eyes were shuttered, Unreachable.

"You're going to start a war." I pleaded, trying to make him see reason.

"We're already at war."

Shaking my head in exasperation, I grabbed the wrist of his hand that was clamped down over my bicep, twisted, and threw him over my shoulder. The move caught him off guard, and just had time to pull my handgun from my holster and point it at his leg before he got back to his feet. Anger flowed off of him in waves.

"Don't make me shoot you. You can't kill anyone if you can't walk." I told him, my voice shaking with emotion.

"You can't stop this." He was seething.

Suddenly, alarms blared and guards came rushing out, led by Octavia and Harper. I quickly hid my gun as Octavia rushed up to her brother.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She snarled at him, before turning to tend to Lincoln. My dad and Abby were close behind to help break up the mess.

"Farm station, guns on the ground." Abby shouted out as guards ran to collect the weapons. She marched up to Pike.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Pike leaned forward. "Doing what you didn't have the guts to do."

My dad took in the situation before turning on Bellamy. "Did you arm these people?!" He was incredulous. Bellamy didn't say a word. Instead he stared through my dad as though he didn't exist at all, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

"Guards, take them to lockup." Abby shouted. "Everyone back to your quarters. It's over."

"It's not over." Pike boomed. "We are surrounded by people who want us dead. It's us or them. And you just chose them."

"That's enough." My dad cut him off.

"No, it's not." Pike stood toe to toe with him. "Why don't you show the people who are about to vote for you what you let the grounders do to you at the summit."

Sighing in exasperation, my dad rolled up his sleeve and explained the brand. "It means we are the 13th clan."

"It's a brand. It's what farmers do to their livestock." Pike countered.

"Right before the slaughter." Hannah chimed in. As much as I loved Monty, his mom was getting on my nerves.

"You should be on the ballot, sir." Patrick shouted out, his strong voice carrying.

"Take them away." Abby demanded. As the murder squad was led away, they began chanting Pike's name. Soon the crowd around us began the chant too.

"This cannot be good." Harper told me, taking in the scene. Hearing the fervour in the air, I agreed with her. We had won one battle, but something told me we had lost the war.

The next day my suspicions were confirmed when the results from the election came in.

"You're kidding." I was not impressed as my dad broke the news.

"It's Pike. It was close."

"We have to recount." I stated.

"To what end? You think I miscounted?" He asked, remaining rather calm for someone who was about to enter a world of hurt.

"Then we have to re-vote."

"This is how democracy works, Tara. We have to give the people what they want."

"People are stupid. They don't know what they want."

My dad huffed out a small laugh at that. "I'm going to go inform them now. Are you coming."

I debated staying put and letting my dad go alone, but despite the fact that he hadn't said anything, I knew it was a blow to his pride and self esteem to have lost to Pike. I would go, even if it was only to be moral support. We marched down to lock up in silence. My dad punched in the keycode and entered the cell. I stayed outside, glancing in. I saw Bellamy, who glared at me in anger. Good to know he was still upset about me pulling a gun on him last night. On the other side was Patrick who seemed even more hateful than usual towards me, if that were even possible.

"Congratulations, Mr. Chancellor." My dad told Marcus.

"Where's Abby?"

"Wishes she could be here."

I couldn't handle the diplomacy anymore and I turned and stalked away from the holding cell. Pike would be going for the guns. Maybe I could at least change the keycode to access them while I still had time and slow them down. I had just entered the gun locker when I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Tara!" Bellamy's voice echoed. "Wait."

"What is it?" I asked. "If you're looking for an apology, I'm afraid you're out of luck. I'll take one from you though, if you've come to your senses."

He took my hand in his and looked at me.

"I only wanted to tell you…" his voice was soft.

"What?" I asked, my breath catching. And then I heard it. _Click_. The bite of cold steel around my wrist as Bellamy locked the other handcuff to the gun locker.

"I can't have you get in our way again."

"You - you-" I sputtered.

"I know it doesn't seem like it, but I am doing this to _protect you_." He snarled, as he took guns out of the locker. "If you tried to stop us at the gate, Patrick would do something much worse."

"I'll scream. I can't let you go and do this."

"If you scream I'll gag you." He seemed almost sad. "Please, Tara. Try to understand. I can't let anymore of our people get hurt."

He turned and left just as quickly as he had come.

"You bastard!" I screamed. "Let me go! You'll regret this!"

But no matter how much I screamed and begged, no one heard me and no one came back. Not until the massacre was done and Bellamy Blake let me go with blood stained hands.


	28. Hakeldama

I sat in my room with Monty, relaying all that he had missed at the memorial, and he caught me up on Jasper's situation.

"Seems like we're all screwed in one way or another." I complained, rubbing my wrists absentmindedly. The bruises encircling them ached at the touch and I winced slightly.

"You should go see Abby about those." Monty commented, eyes filled with sympathy.

"Not much will help bruises. And the pain I can handle. What I can't handle is seeing our friends fall apart in front of my eyes."

Monty sighed, leaning back against the wall. "I feel you there. But I don't know what we can do to help."

"What I wouldn't give for some good news…" I sighed.

"Well, you stood up for what you thought was right." Monty grinned slightly. "That's some good news."

"You got to see your mom again." I told him. "More good news."

"Clarke is alive and well, thanks to your help." Monty tacked on.

"You probably saved Jasper from having to get his stomach pumped." I smiled a little.

"See?" Monty pushed my shoulder in a good natured way. "Small victories."

"Small victories." I agreed. "Shall we go get some coffee?"

I had just slipped my boots on when a knock came at the door.

"Tara? Open up." My dad's voice sounded on the other-side. I raised my eyebrows, and walked to the door. It was odd for my dad to be seeking me out during working hours. Normally he had his hands full.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I need your help with something." He started to say, and then looked in and saw Monty. He paused, clearly not wanting to discuss it further until we were alone.

"I'll catch up with you later, Monty." I grinned. "Save me some coffee. I'm in dire need of some."

Monty looked curious, but headed down the hallway nonetheless.

"Do you still have the acetylene torch?" My dad asked, stepping into my room.

"Uhh…"

"I know you were listening in on the council meetings." He rolled his eyes. "Tara, where is it?"

"How'd you know?" I asked, walking to my closet and digging out the box in the back which held the torch.

"Patrick came and showed Abby a notebook with your handwriting, with notes from meetings you weren't at. I pieced together how you were eavesdropping." My dad replied, taking the torch.

"But how did he…" I ran over to my bed and pulled up the mattress. Sure enough, the notebook was gone.

"Slimy, son of a …." I trailed off. "He came in my room. When I wasn't here."

My dad nodded, and an angry look crossed over his face.

"And he's with Pike now, so they'll be watching you closely. Me, as well. That's why we have to work fast. And you can't tell anyone about this project."

"Project?" I asked as we stepped into the hall.

"I'll explain when we get there."

There turned out to be an old storage room off the side of the medical bay.

"If I'm not mistaken, if we cut through here and here, we can access the panelling behind which will lead to the side of the ship." My dad said.

"We're making an escape route?" I asked.

"More like a spy tunnel." He corrected. I grinned.

"What?" He asked.

"Now I know I didn't get all my troublemaking from mom." I teased. Sadness touched his eyes, but he smiled back.

"Let's get to work."

An hour later we had a door which was indetectable if you didn't know it was there. It swung up to reveal a tunnel out of the ship which dropped the spy in question just outside the electric fence.

"Okay. Phase one done." My dad said, running a hand through his sweaty hair. I was covered head to toe in dust and dirt from the newly exposed tunnel, from where I had been rerouting all the electrical wires out of harm's way. It was easy work, but dirty.

"What's phase two?" I asked.

"Wait here."

I shrugged and got back to cutting metal panels out of the small tunnel and feeding the wires through so they were out of in no danger of being pulled out if someone were moving in a hurry.. In ten minutes, my dad was back with Octavia and a sword.

"What's going on?" She asked, eyeing the tunnel as I emerged, covered in filth.

"I need you to sneak out of camp and find Indra." My dad told her. "She radioed. Find out what is going on and report back. You may be the only one she trusts."

"How do I get out?" She took the sword from my dad's hand, accepting the mission with ease.

"You use this!" I gestured proudly to our glorious escape route. "Don't worry, I made it wide." I added, remembering the other girls fear of small spaces.

She grinned at us both. "I was born for this."

As soon as she entered the crawl space, we slid the panelling shut, rendering the tunnel invisible. Just in time too, as an announcement boomed over the P.A. system.

" _Marcus Kane, Lincoln kom Trikru, and Tara Kane, report to Chancellor Pike. I repeat, Marcus Kane…"_ The message droned out.

"Sounds like things are about to get interesting…" I commented, wiping off dirty hands on even dirtier pants. My dad rolled his eyes.

"Let's go get this over with."

We walked quickly to the command office, meeting Lincoln along the way. The three of us stood, arms crossed, waiting for the inevitable.

" _Prep u op na rele justiz?"_ I asked Lincoln sarcastically, and the side of his mouth twitched up in a small smile. Apparently he believed Pike to be a fair man even less than I did. Hardly surprising given that Pike had done nothing to chastise the guard who had stoned him.

"Tara…" My dad's voice had that familiar warning tone I was used to hearing when I was dancing on the line of insubordination.

"What?" I asked him. "We're all screwed in our own way and you know it."

He rolled his eyes at my blunt statement.

"We have to give him a chance to govern. The people voted. This is what they want." Ever the diplomat, he sighed.

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes, as though my Dad and I hadn't just been making a secret exit for camp. For all his words of trusting democracy, and Pike's leadership abilities, I knew my Dad saw the camp for the sinking ship that it was.

The door in front of us slip open, and Bellamy stepped out, clutching a guard jacket. My gaze hardened as my eyes met his.

"He's ready for you."

"Oh I'm sure he is." I bit out, sarcasm thick on my voice.

"What the hell happened out there?" Lincoln's voice shook with barely contained anger.

"We did what we had to do." He spat.

I scoffed, looking up at the ceiling, about to launch into a verbal attack when I Dad beat me to it.

"Wake up. You attacked an army that was here to protect us! You murdered innocent people. Is that who you are now? You thought you couldn't live with yourself after Mt. Weather? Well, you just started a war that'll kill us all."

I couldn't have said it better myself, and a surge of pride for my Dad finally taking a stand on the correct side of the battle field flooded through me. On the ark he had been someone for who morals had taken a second chair to hierarchy, but it filled me with hope to see that maybe the deaths on the ark, and life on the ground was changing that. Unfortunately, Bellamy didn't seem cowed. If anything the statement just fueled his rage.

"No, _you_ need to wake up. And don't tell me the difference between Azgesa and Trikru. Or have you forgotten the 37 of us who were killed when they attacked us? Hmm? Tara?" He was shaking with anger.

"How dare you even say that!" I hissed. "But we weren't blameless in that war."

"God, you sound like Finn." He shook his head in disbelief.

"Kane, Lincoln." Pike called.

"You should go." Bellamy glanced at the open door as my Dad and Lincoln walked into the room. I glared at him and scoffed, meaning to march in after them when Bellamy had a change of heart and grabbed my arm.

I looked at his hand with raised eyebrows.

"You have exactly 3 seconds to get your hands off me." I told him.

"I had to do it, Tara." His voice was soft.

"Do what? Kill 300 people? Or lock me up so you could do it." I pulled my arm away from him with force.

"You don't know what Patrick had planned if you tried to stop us. It was for your own good." His voice went from soft to gruff in a heartbeat, and then he was glaring at me again.

"For my own good." I laughed. "Thanks. I'll remember that. But next time, don't bother. I'd rather deal with Patrick. At least he has the decency to be a backstabbing dick to my face."

I marched into the command room before he could say more. I was still fuming when I took a seat beside Lincoln, and my anger was not helped by the fact that moments later the door opened again and Patrick, the devil himself, walked into the room, twirling my notebook between his long graceful fingers.

"Well this ought to be good." I commented, mostly to myself, but I caught my dad's worried glance.

"I'm going to keep this quick." Pike cut out. "Lincoln, Marcus, you are both relieved from your positions in the guard."

"But I'm the captain…" My dad defended.

"I think I made myself very clear." Pike leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "As soon as you turn in your jackets you're dismissed."

"And why is Tara here?" My dad asked as he shucked himself out of his coat.. "She's not in the guard."

"No, she's not." Pike pushed himself up from his seat, so he stood over us. "But Patrick here tells me she likes to listen in on council meetings, which deal with matters that do not concern her." He walked over and stood in front of me directly.

"Spying will not be tolerated in my camp, Ms. Kane."

I rolled my eyes.

"I don't think you're taking this matter as seriously as you ought to." Pike laced each word with venom.

"Your dad can't help you anymore." Patrick smirked from the side. A glare from Pike shut him up, though I could still see the triumph glinting in his eyes.

"As far as I'm concerned, everything in that notebook was written before you could even guess what the inside of this room looked like. And therefore, it is of no consequence to you. Nor can you punish me for it." I spit. "I was only doing what I believed best, and I like to make informed choices."

"Well, as you so eloquently put it, I can't punish you for eavesdropping on a meeting that took place when I wasn't in charge. After all, Patrick has already informed me that he told Abby and she didn't think it pertinent to act on this information. But," he paused, glancing at Patrick and then at me. " what I can do is deter you from undertaking such actions again. You're suspended from your work as an electrician."

"What?" I gaped. "How is that relevant at all?"

"She is one of the best electricians we have, you can't do this." My dad defended.

"Oh Marcus, really." Pike said with mild condescension. "It's only a suspension, and she isn't one of the best. In fact, I doubt she'll even be missed."

"And what am I to do in the meantime? Make daisy chains?" I was still shocked.

"I would suggest using the time to learn a new trade, and maybe reflect on your actions." Pike turned away. "If you're caught with electrical tools, equipment to get into the ventilation shafts, or with modified walkies, we'll be back here and the conversation won't be so… pleasant."

My dad pushed up to his feet, Lincoln following astute. I glared at Patrick, as I stood as well, pulling off my I.D card that let me access the equipment bay, and dropping it on Pike's desk.

"Thank you for your time, Chancellor." My dad said graciously before leading us out the door. How he found the ability to be polite at a time like this was beyond me.

"So what new trade are you going to take up?" My dad asked.

I laughed. "Somehow I don't think they'll let me into the guard…"

"If we're careful, I can train you a little more." Lincoln spoke up. "There's nothing wrong with learning to defend yourself. Even Pike can't argue with that."

"I'd like that." I nodded, thinking of Patrick and Bellamy. Despite the small amount of training I had done at Mount Weather, I knew I needed to learn some new tricks for whatever the future held.

"Pike won't like it." My dad cautioned.

"Pike can go float himself."

"Tara, you have to be subtle. We'll be being watched now. Everything we do matters." He chided.

I glanced over my shoulder and felt the eyes of the guards more heavily than I had previously.

"So what would you have me do?"

"Train with Lincoln, in secret, but also take up a trade. Something useful. Come on. We'll go see Abby. I'm sure she can use a new apprentice since Clarke is gone."

I sighed and waved bye to Lincoln before following my dad to the medical bay.

It took quicker than I expected for my dad to explain what had happened, and I was surprised when Abby told me I could begin medical lessons under Jackson.

"She's always been a quick learner, and we can always use the help." She said to my dad. "Especially with all the grounders coming in."

"I worry they won't be coming in for long." My dad replied. "With Pike in charge and all…"

I left them to talk and went to find Jackson.

"We'll start with anatomy, because that will be the most helpful." Jackson told me, handing me a datapad. "Today you learn the muscles in the hand and arm. Tomorrow, the veins and arteries. With that basic knowledge you can try your first injection or IV hook-up without fear of hurting someone."

Overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge there was to learn, I took the datapad to an empty med bay office. and began reading through. It was helpful in the sense that the diagrams were interactive, and the way the nerves and veins connected through the body reminded me of electrical circuits and wires. All needed to be connected in just the right order. What I couldn't wrap my head around was why there were so many medicines to memorise, not to mention their interactions with the human body, and other drugs as well.

I was so lost in my studies I didn't even notice that 4 hours had flown by until a loud crash from the door jolted me out of my learning trance.

"What are you doing?!" Abby's voice cut through the crash. "These are sick people. You can't just throw them out. I set the tablet down and peeked out the door, unsurprised to see Pike ordering sick grounders thrown from their beds. Bellamy stood behind him, looking on with unease, but not stopping the maltreatment of the patients. Patrick, of course, was happily hefting ill people to their feet, and leaving them to collapse on the floor when they were unable to stand on their own. Lincoln dashed forward to catch one young girl before her head hit a metal pole.

"We asked them to come here! You can't do this!" Abby tried again, and Pike silenced her with a sharp retort.

"We don't have the supplies to care for them."

"Then I'll take them somewhere else." I said, stepping out of the office, drawing the attention to myself. "The dropship. It still has heat. And we can make basic medicines out of the plants."

Abby nodded at my suggestion.

"We can use our own stock as well." Lincoln added.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." Pike smiled. "You see, if I let you people go, you'll go tell our enemies our secrets. You'll add the their numbers. You're to be interned in the holding area until further notice."

"What?!" I snapped. "That's ridiculous. These people are too ill to be moved."

"Not to mention it's freezing in containment." Abby chided. "Some will be dead before the week is over."

"Boo hoo." Patrick mimicked wiping away tears., while pulling a grounder girl called Denae from her bed. Lincoln had had enough, and stepped forward.

"She can't stand." He snarled as another guard stepped in front of him to stop his advance on Patrick.

"Looks like she's standing fine to me." He shrugged, dropping her to the floor. Lincoln shoved past the guard and went to help Denae to her feet, when the guard lifted the butt of his gun and went to strike Lincoln on the back of the head.

"Look out!" I shouted, and Lincoln turned, disarming the man quickly, following the attack with two quick punches.

"Lincoln, stop!" Bellamy shouted, stepping forward, trying to get him into a hold. Lincoln threw an elbow catching Bellamy high on the cheek.

"Ach!" Bellamy shouted, caught off guard by the hit. He righted himself a moment later, squaring up to Lincoln, ready for a fight.

"Stop it! Bellamy, stop it." I shouted, stepping forward. "Is this who you are now? Lincoln is your friend!"

"Lincoln." Abby's anxious voice caused everyone to turn, only to see Pike holding a gun to Denae's head. She was barely conscious on the floor.

"He goes with them." Pike said, referring to Lincoln.

"Once a grounder, always a grounder." Patrick grinned, pulling Lincoln away in cuffs. The rest of the grounders were dragged out of the room and to the containment facility. Leaving the med bay much emptier than it had been a few minutes earlier. The violence had turned my stomach and I didn't feel much like studying anymore so I went to see if I could find Harper.

I was halfway to the canteen when I bumped into Octavia, who was back from her mission. Upon seeing me, she grabbed my arm and pulled me into a room no one was using.

"How bad is it?" I asked, not sure if I wanted to know the answer.

Octavia shook her head. "It's...they're all dead. He killed them all."

"I don't know what has happened to him. We always clashed on thing, but this…"

"That's not all." Octavia told me.

I gestured for her to continue.

"Lexa knows. She's going to raise Arkadia to the ground." Her voice was filled with icy calm, whereas her message shot fire through my veins.

"Oh my god, we have to evacuate. We have to get people out of here." I started pacing, and making plans.

"It's not all bad. I brought back someone who can help."

"Clarke?" I asked, and Octavia nodded.

"She's convinced the commander to spare everyone if we can give her Pike."

"That sounds more than fair. What do you need me to do?"

"Can you make walkies with a private channel?" Octavia asked. "We need to set up a resistance."

"Pike took away my clearance for supplies, but luckily I have a box with spare parts stashed in my room. I'll only be able to mod three until I get more parts though."

"Three will have to do then." Octavia nodded.

"Where is Clarke?"

"In meeting room A." Octavia stated. "I'm going to get Bellamy right now."

"Well if anyone can talk some sense into him…." I sighed, running my hand through my hair. Octavia looked haunted by what she had seen. I set off to my room to start on the modified walkies, and rummage through my meager supplies. Pulling out the box I kept at the back of my closet, I was about to start work when I noticed I was missing a screwdriver. Luckily, with a tool like that, I could just ask someone to borrow it and I wouldn't need to go to the equipment bay.

Dashing out into the hall, I was just about to the garage when I saw Bellamy storm out of meeting room A. He didn't see me as he continued down the hallway the other direction, but seeing this as an opportunity, I rushed towards the room to see Clarke.

I opened the door to see her crying and handcuffed to the table.

"Clarke!" I whispered and rushed in. Clarke looked up in shock, with a tear stained face.

"What the hell happened?" I asked, pulling a pin from my hair and beginning to fiddle with the lock on the handcuffs. I cursed, knowing that I still needed follow up on getting Miller to teach me how to properly pick a lock.

Clarke shrugged sadly, resigned to whatever Bellamy had told her. "The truth hurts."

"What truth?"

"That when I'm in charge, people die." Clarke wept. I wanted to slap Bellamy for saying that to her. Especially considering what he had been a part of.

"I'm trying to do the best I can..." Clarke continued.

"Clarke, you're best is better than most peoples." I told her. "And you've been forced into making the hard choices. Yes, people died. Good people. But you also saved people. No one else was stepping up to the task." I fiddled with the lock, pulling at the chain. I wished I had a pair of bolt cutters. A blunt solution would have been perfect for this.

"We all make choices. The choices you make are heavier than the one's regular people have to make. That means there will always be those who don't understand them. Or understand the price you pay by making them. But never forget who you are, Clarke. You save people. Hell, you saved me. If it weren't for you, I'd likely still be a science experiment in Mount Weather, getting tortured by Cage everyday."

"Thank you, Tara." Clarke replied, wiping her eyes, some of her stoicism returning. "I don't know if you can pick the lock on these."

"Well, I'm not just going to leave you here to be brought to Pike." I huffed in frustration.

"You need to get out of here before the guards get back and see you trying to free me."

But it was too late. The door slid open and Bellamy was back, accompanied by two other guards. Seeing me, he glared in exasperation.

"I should have known." He snarled, stepping forward and grabbing my arm, dragging me away from the table.

"Bellamy, think about what you're doing!" I shouted, as he held out a hand to a guard for another set of cuffs. I didn't fight back, knowing the punishment for resisting arrest. One quick minute later, my hands were cuffed in front of me, and Bellamy was releasing Clarke from the table.

"Is that your new MO?" I asked, as we were dragged down the hall. "Handcuffing people to things?"

He ignored me, and that just made the anger flare brighter.

"Oh right, no. I forgot. It's guilting other people for murder, when you just committed a genocide yourself." I spit.

"Shut. Up." Bellamy hissed, between clenched teeth.

"Oh no, you should hear it. You should hear what you are from a person who knows you. So that it settles in the back of your mind and eats away at you until you finally snap out of this goddamn spell Pike has you under! You're a murderer." I shot back.

"So is she." He snarled, pointing to Clarke. "So are you."

"I've never killed anyone." I replied.

"Not yet." Bellamy was wroth. "But you will. Everyone becomes a killer down here."

"We all have choices to make." Clarke said softly.

Bellamy scoffed. "The mighty _Wanheda_ would know."

"You don't have to do this." Clarke persuaded. "Just let us go."

"Believe it or not, I'm doing this for your own good."

I rolled my eyes at that.

With that, he turned and our trek down the hall continued, until Octavia rounded the corner and swept the legs from the guard who was pushing me down the hall. She kneed him in the chin, before quickly grabbing the shock baton and taking out the other guard as well.

"O, what are you doing? You can't just hit a guard!" Bellamy was exasperated beyond all belief.

"I just did." She shrugged. "Let them go."

"I can't do that."

In the distance I could hear boots approaching. Octavia cocked her head as well, indicating that she knew time was dwindling fast.

"They're coming." She noted.

"You should go." Bellamy urged. Clarke used this distraction to grab his shock baton and caught him in the stomach.

He collapsed on the ground gasping for air, as the electricity coursed through him.

"I'm sorry." She said, pulling the handcuff keys off his belt. She undid her cuffs, and then turned to me to do mine.

"Clarke hurry up!" Octavia told her.

"Just go. You need to get out. I'll be fine. Go." I said. On the ground, Bellamy was catching his breath and was reaching for Clarke's ankles.

"Go!" I commanded. "You're not safe here."

"Neither are you!" Clarke countered.

"I'll be fine. Trust me." I grinned quickly, before taking the shock baton from her. Bellamy's grip closed on her ankle, and I zapped him again, to make him let go. Again, he was wracked with convulsions, and though I had thought the sight might make me feel better, I was annoyed to find that it didn't. I threw down the baton and sat beside him on the ground, waiting for the guards to arrived. Clarke and Octavia were gone. It was just me left to face the consequences.

"I'm sorry, Bellamy." I said softly. "I know you're only trying to do what you think is right. But that's all I'm trying to do too."

"I won't be able to protect you this time." He replied, as 6 guards came around the corner, one of whom was Patrick.

"I never asked you to protect me in the first place." I reasoned.

"Is it such a bad thing that I wanted to anyways?"

I didn't get to answer that final question, as Patrick grabbed me and hauled me to my feet.

"You couldn't even go one day without getting into the thick of it." He grinned. "Shall we go see what Pike has to say about you assaulting 3 guards?"


	29. Bitter Harvest

Handcuffs hurt. The metal bit into your wrists and they offered no chance of escape. I found myself missing the rope Roan had used to bind me previously, but here at Arkadia, we were above rope. Oh yes. We had handcuffs. How advanced a society we were. My thoughts were bitter as I sat handcuffed to a metal chair in the holding cell. Pike had been out when Patrick and the other guards dragged me to the office, so here I sat. Annoyed. Waiting. Unknowing of what would happen. I hated not knowing. Not knowing was the worst part, I decided. If I knew, then I could prepare. I didn't expect to be killed. Shock lashed…maybe. Banished…also possible. Room arrest...that would be the best option, and therefore it was the least likely to occur. I would even be fine with community service, but I knew in the back of my mind attacking a guard was no small offence. Especially not since Pike had reintroduced the exodus charter. I had to prepare for the worst, not the best. My boots tapped on the floor, the only sign that my nerves were starting to get the better of me.

Finally, after what felt like hours, my cell door opened and Pike, Bellamy and Patrick walked in.

"I understand you couldn't go one day without causing trouble." Pike started, clasping his hands behind his back. "You know, attacking a guard is a very serious offence. So is freeing a prisoner."

"A prisoner?" I raised an eyebrow. "Clarke is one of our own."

"She is a grounder sympathiser. Letting her go has hurt us more than you know." Pike hissed. I glanced at Bellamy but he wouldn't meet my eye. I gathered from tremendous amount of blame being placed on me that he had neglected to mention Octavia's role in the escape. I sighed deeply.

"She's trying to keep the peace. A peace that will be very hard to maintain after you went and murdered 300 of their people." I replied, trying to get the truth through Pike's thick head. Beside him, Patrick scoffed.

"She's a traitor and so are you." Patrick spit. "If I had it my way, you both would be taken out and shot."

"Shut it, Patrick." Bellamy growled, finally speaking up.

"Yes, I've heard Patrick's thoughts on the matter." Pike turned to me considering. "He thinks you're a wild dog. Biting the hand that feeds you, turning on those who protect you."

I rolled my eyes. I couldn't care less about Patrick's opinion.

"He thinks that the only way to deal with a rabid animal is to put it down." Pike continued. "But I think it can be broken."

"Is that what I am?" I asked, directing my question at Bellamy. "A rabid animal?" His eyes finally met mine, and they were filled with regret and fear. Still, he didn't answer the question.

"I think you were down here alone for too long." Pike answered. "I think you gave into your base survival instincts and can't remember what it is like to have to be held accountable for your actions. To answer to a superior authority."

I glared at Pike. "You're going to damn us all."

"No, I'm going to save us." He shook his head sadly. "Starting with you. Despite Patrick's insistence on the death penalty, we're going to hold off on that. But you do have to answer for your crimes. You attacked 3 guards. You will receive 3 shock lashes per guard, making the total 9."

Patrick grinned and twirled his baton in his hand.

"I've requested to carry out the execution of the punishment." He smirked. "Wouldn't want anyone trying to take it easy on a hardened criminal, now would we." He glanced at Bellamy with a knowing look. Panic settled in my chest like a trapped butterfly, fluttering anxiously against my breastbone.

"Tonight, at 16h00, the punishment will be carried out in front of the camp. It will be a warning to all those who try and oppose me. I will not stand for dissent. A house divided will always fall." Pike boomed, exiting the cell. Bellamy followed astute, but Patrick stayed behind.

"I'd like to have a little talk with the prisoner, if that is alright sir."

Panic flitted across Bellamy's face, but Pike considered the proposition before nodding.

"Don't make me regret it." He said, before marching off. Bellamy went to open the cell and step back inside but Pike called him.

"Blake! We need to go over plans for that village. Gather the crew and meet in my office."

Bellamy met my eyes, and I nodded slightly to let him know I would be ok. He pressed his lips together in a narrow line, but turned and left. I could only pray that it would be the truth.

The sound of a metal chair being dragged across the floor jolted my attention away from my own thoughts. I was trapped with a man who hated me. Patrick set the chair in front of me before sitting down and leaning back, his hands behind his head. He grinned wickedly at me as I watched him with apprehension.

"I could get used to this." He said finally. I rolled my eyes and looked away, hoping that if I didn't respond he would get bored and leave.

"What's this? A quiet Tara? No no no, I don't think so." Patrick leaned forward in his chair elbows resting on his knees. "You're finally afraid."

"Of you?" I spit, incredulous. "You wish." Well, so much for my plan of staying silent.

A grin split his face.

"You are. Good. You ought to be." He was bemused. "Do you know what I had planned if you had showed up to stop us?"

That caught my attention. After all, Bellamy had mentioned he was saving me from something, but not from what exactly it was.

"You see, we had guns." Patrick continued his monologue. "We needed a lot of them to kill all those innocent people. And yes Tara, I knew they were innocent. That's what made it so fun. But Pike thought the were guilty and he was hell bent on getting there.

'No one can stand in our way!' He told us, when we were all in lock up.

'If they do, you are to incapacitate them.'

But I knew you would try and stop us. You always do. You always have to be the good guy." He spit the word good like it was dirty.

"So I thought, what is the perfect place to shoot someone like you...So you don't get in the way again. I didn't want to kill you, that would have been obvious. Even Pike won't stand behind murder of his own. At least not yet."

I didn't say anything, panic beating in my chest like a living creature. I couldn't fathom why he was telling me this. And why now.

"I told Pike you'd probably show up to stop us. I told him I had a plan. A shot in the leg. Clean and simple. Easy to heal. He was on board with that idea, but Bellamy overheard me talking to Gilmer…"He paused and tilted his head to the side, blonde hair shining as it flopped over. "I don't know how you managed to get him wrapped around your finger, but you always were more scrappy than I gave you credit for. Anyways, no, I wasn't going to shoot you in the back. I was going to shoot you in the spine. Bye bye legs. No more walking, no more dancing, no more trouble for me." There was no empathy in his voice. Only a restrained kind of glee.

"Your a monster." I whispered. He shrugged.

"The clinical definition is psychopath, but I kind of like Monster. It's elevated. Otherworldly."

"Why are you telling me this now?" The words stuttered out of my chest, tinged with fear.

"Because I want you to understand me."

"Why?"

"You're the only one who can."

"Why would you think that? Why would I understand you. This isn't who you were when I fell in love with you. I don't know you. Not anymore." I shook my head.

"Ah yes, the ark!" Patrick leaned back and smiled. "This is who I was then too. Though back then I didn't think you were quite as smart as you turned out to be. No, I thought you were just another Melina, or another Callie."

I tried to place the names and felt the air in the room freeze when I remembered that they were two girls who had been floated, but they were also two girls who had dated Patrick before I met him.

"It was always so fun to see the look of betrayal in their eyes before I hit the button that sent them out. I had planned to do the same with you, you know. Tell you the truth before floating you. Make sure you died knowing it was me who caused it. But dear old dad pulled some strings and here we are. You're the one that got away."

Words evaded me as I felt physically ill. So that was it. He didn't hate me. He didn't hate anyone. He got people floated on the ark because he thought it was 'fun'. He wanted to kill me on earth because I was the only one who got away.

"You need help…" I whispered, softly shaking my head.

"Why?" Patrick shrugged. "I'm perfectly happy the way I am. And working with Pike is a dream come true. But it _is_ nice to finally have someone who knows the truth. Not that anyone will believe you if you tell them."

"Bellamy will."

"Mmmm, I don't think so. Even if he does, after tonight, no one will take your word on anything. You'll be seen as a traitor. An outcast. You'll be all alone. Just like I was."

"So that's why you're telling me this? Because you felt alone?" I was horrified.

"In part. But mostly I'm telling you so when you are all alone, you know who did it to you. And why."

I took a deep breath and steeled my nerves.

"You know, early today someone called me a murderer and I said I have never killed anyone." I paused, tilting my head. "I was told that the ground will eventually make killers of everyone. I guess I knew that. I guess I was just saving my first kill for someone special. For someone like you."

Patrick laughed. "It's cute that you think you can scare me, but just remember, you have no more aces. Your daddy isn't on the council, and I outrank Bellamy thanks to Pike. If you want to keep breathing, I suggest you start trying to get on my good side."

"Do psychopaths have a good side?" I asked in anger and he grinned wickedly.

"I'm not sure. But I do find I've rather grown attached to our little feud. Winning it might be enough to satiate me. It might not." He shrugged, indifferent either way.

"Thanks for the warning."

He leaned forward suddenly, grabbing my jaw and pulling me in for a kiss. His lips crushed down on mine, demanding and forceful, as I struggled to lean back in my seat and get away.

"Hmm…" He smirked. "Or maybe I'll decide I want you back. You always were a good kisser."

I leaned far back in my chair, repulsed. He stood up, dragging the chair back to the corner of the cell where he had taken it from before coming to stand behind me, his hands resting on my shoulders. I tried to calm my breathing, to not let any fear show, but when he stroked a hand down my hair, a shaky breath escaped me.

"It's fun." Patrick laughed. "You knowing the truth. Anyways, I'll see you tonight for our special date. It'll be one you won't forget."

With that he left the cell, leaving me to my ever growing panic and fear. 9 shock-lashes I could handle. 9 shock-lashes delivered by Patrick, who was apparently a psychopath…no, I needed to escape. I should have gone with Clarke. I should have left with Octavia, handcuffs or not. Surely in the forest I could have found a way to pry them off with a knife, or jimmy it with a stick. I twisted my hands against the cuffs until my wrists were wet with blood. Tears streamed down my face as I struggled in vain to free myself.

"Aaahh" I shouted in anger and fear. This was not how things were supposed to end up. Good was supposed to triumph over evil. I was supposed to come out on top. In stories it was always the underdog who won, not the evil warlord. I was starting to lose feeling in my hands and glanced down at my wrists. They had swollen in the cuffs. Any further attempt at getting my hands out of them was useless. I collapsed back in my chair exhausted. The clock on the wall ticked menacingly, inching closer and closer to my punishment. I had started to brace myself mentally for the pain, determined not to faint or cry. Screaming, I supposed, was inevitable. Moments before 16h00, my dad ran into the cell accompanied by Pike.

"I'm granting you this as a favour." Pike told him. "Don't forget it, and don't make me regret it." He turned and marched away, presumably to get the guards who would take me to my fate.

"Tara, your wrists." My dad said, kneeling down and taking my hand in his. I couldn't hold back the sob that broke through.

"I'll be ok." I hiccuped through my tears. "But, dad can you promise me one thing?"

"Anything." He said, looking distraught. He rubbed his hand against my arm in an attempt at comfort.

"Don't watch. Don't come. I don't want you to be there."

"Tara…" He looked heartbroken.

"I mean it. I don't want you there. What good will it do for you to see me suffer." Tears leaked out of my eyes.

"You're my daughter and I'll always be there. Through the good and the bad. Through the pain." He gripped my shoulder, looking me in the eye. "We're family. You've got the strength of your mother. I see it when I look at you." He paused before adding softly. "She would be so proud of who you have become."

I gulped down air, trying to calm myself down. The time was going quicker now and every second sped by. "I love you Dad."

"I love you too. Never forget it."

With that, Pike returned at the door with two guards. "Time's up."

My dad turned to him. "Let me take the punishment. You can double it. Just let her go."

"Dad, no!" I shouted.

Pike shook his head sadly.

"I understand you, Marcus. I do. I'd have done the same for my kids were they still alive. But you know the law. She's an adult. She will be tried as an adult. No one can take her crimes from her."

"Please…" My dad shook his head, begging. "Please."

"Take her." Pike barked to the guards. With swift efficiency they stepped into the cell and unhooked me from the chair, releasing my bloody wrists from the restraints. Each guard held one arm making any hope of escape impossible.

"I'm sorry." Pike said to my dad as the guards dragged me out to the courtyard. They led me to the two wooden poles where Patrick was waiting with a shock baton. After securing my arms in two cloth straps, one of the guards pulled out a knife and used it to slice open the back of my shirt, exposing bare skin.

"Citizens." Pike bellowed to the crowd who had come to watch. In it I could see familiar faces. Monty. Harper. Monroe. Miller. Even Jasper had turned out, horror evident on his face despite his drunken stupor. "No community likes to punish its citizens. But without order, our civilisation falls. You voted for me to keep you safe. I intend to do that, for threats both outside the wall...and inside. Tara Kane stands accused of releasing a prisoner with intel on grounder armies and attack plans. In the process she attacked and injured three guards. This was a crime against the people. A crime against you. Her actions have put you in danger. And she must answer for them." He paused to assess the crowd. Faces that had previously been sympathetic looked on now with a hardened gaze. He was winning them over. "By order of the exodus charter, I sentence Tara Kane to 9 shock lashes. May her pain be a reminder that we will not stand for betrayal. We will not stand for dissent. Together we are strong, but divided we fall." With that, he nodded to Patrick, who fired up the baton. I glanced around, trying to be brave. My eye's found Bellamy's, as he was standing off to the side, with the guards who had brought me. He was close enough that I could see the shame in his eyes.

"It brings me no joy to do this." Patrick said loudly enough so the people at the front of the crowd could hear. "But I will do what it takes to protect my people."

"Take your fake sympathy and shove it up your-"

I never got to finish the sentence as arcs of electricity shot through me, making me convulse against the restraints that held me.

"Again." Pike ordered, counting down the 9 lashes.

My feet wavered beneath me and I groaned as the baton connected with my back for the second time.

"Again."

The burn against my skin was unbearable, and I let out a cry. Patrick was applying the baton to the same location he had already lashed. Bellamy stepped forward, but one of the guards beside him placed a hand on his chest holding him back.

"Again."

My feet gave out from beneath me, leaving my arms suspended in thick cloth straps as my only support.

"Again."

"Stop!" Abby cried out, shoving her way to the front of the crowd. "Can't you see he's going to damage her nervous system if he keeps lashing like that?!"

Pike marched around to consider the damage, frowning before turning to Patrick. Patrick put on an angelic face and made his voice quiver.

"This is my first time shock lashing someone." He was the picture of innocence. "I thought I was supposed to do it like this."

Pike shook his head in disgust. "We are punishing a criminal, not crippling one. Do it right this time."

"This time?" Bellamy stepped forward, pulling Pike off to the side. "You can't seriously mean to let him continue."

"Her sentence isn't complete." Pike responded, nodding to Patrick to continue. The electricity ate at my nerves, turning every one raw. Tears ran down my face as I dangled from the straps.

"It's enough. I'm not even badly injured, and neither are the other guards. You've made your point." Bellamy insisted to Pike. Patrick didn't wait for the signal, but instead applied another lash. I was at 7 now. Still conscious, so that was a win. In the crowd I found my Dad staring on in unadulterated horror.

"If I stop now what kind of message would that send?"

"One of mercy. One that says we believe in second chances. That we forgive." Bellamy insisted.

"Mercy is weakness." Pike nodded to Patrick to administered another lash. "That's something you need to remember. Especially with the mission tonight. There is no room for sentiment."

Bellamy's face hardened, and he turned glaring at Patrick.

"Again." Pike said. The final lash landed and agony coursed through me, as the electricity forced me to arc backwards at an unnatural angle, stretching my spine. I couldn't breathe properly. I couldn't control my legs or my arms. The second the lash ended, Bellamy was by my side, undoing the restraints and helping me stand.

"Get her to medical." Abby ordered, and I felt myself being led away. I existed outside my own body. Aware of what was happening to me, but unable to feel any of it. All I knew was the pain on my back was unbearable. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to remember how to breathe.

"Just in and out. Deep breaths. You're going to be ok." Bellamy murmured to me as he led me towards medical. His hands were more gentle than they had ever been as he helped me limp, and when my legs gave out, he scooped me up with ease, being careful to keep his hands far from the burn marks marring my back.

"I'm sorry, Tara. I'm so so sorry."

"Not your fault." I whispered. "Patrick."

Pain lanced across Bellamy's features. "I should have done something to stop him."

"Nothing you could have done." But words hurt. Everything hurt. The last thing I knew was Bellamy setting me down on a medical table and seeing bright lights before everything faded to black.

When I woke up, my wrists were wrapped in clean gauze and my back was treated and dressed. My dad was sitting beside me holding my hand and stroking the back of it.

When he noticed I was awake, he let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god you're ok."

"What happened?" I asked. The memories were blurry but the pain was fresh.

"You were unconscious for 6 hours. It's the middle of the night."

I pushed myself up in the bed. I was dressed in a hospital gown, but noticed that my shirt had been mended and was folded up with my jeans and boots, resting on a table beside my bed.

"Monty mended it." My dad smiled, noticing me looking at the shirt. "He's surprisingly good with a needle."

"That does not surprise me." I smiled slightly, but then it dropped from my face. "Dad, I can't stay here."

"Because of Pike?" He asked.

"No, because of Patrick. He's crazy dad. A certified psychopath. I won't be safe while he is around."

My dad frowned, nodding his head. "He has always felt a little off. But surely we can find a way to protect you."

I shook my head. "He is Pike's right hand man. Nothing we do will stop him. He finally has the power he has always wanted."

"Where will you go?" My dad asked, voice cracking.

"To Polis. To Clarke." I said, putting together a semblance of a plan in my head. "I'll be safe enough there and maybe I can help smooth things over with the grounders.

"There is something you should know…" My dad started. "Pike attacked a grounder village tonight. Octavia warned them beforehand, but many still died."

"The death toll grows…" I frowned.

"Monroe died."

I felt my heart drop like a stone in my chest. I had never been close to the other girl, but I did consider us friends. After all, we were part of the original 100.

I took a deep breath and then let out a measured sigh. "I see."

It was all I could muster for the time being. Death had become so common it was no longer shocking. I shuddered at that realization.

"If you're leaving, you'll need some supplies. I'll be back in a minute." My dad said, standing up from the chair. I used his absence to gingerly strip off the hospital gown and get dressed in my own clothes again. He returned just as I was strapping up my last boot.

"There's food, water, a map, a compass, a flashlight, and a gun in the bag." My dad said, handing me the worn black backpack. "I hope you don't need it."

"Me too." I smiled slightly, shouldering the pack.

"And I brought you these." He handed me 3 of my throwing knives. I slipped one in each boot and the other up my sleeve where the cool metal rested against my warm skin.

With no further reason to delay, my dad saw me to the secret exit and let me through. I hugged him tightly before entering.

"Be careful." I told him.

"That's what I'm supposed to say to you." He laughed softly.

"I mean it. This place isn't safe."

"You stay alive, I'll stay alive." My dad promised me before sealing me into the tunnel. Crawling forward in the dark I saw the silhouette of trees at the end and stepped lightly into the forest. The dark was thick and choking, but I didn't dare use the flashlight until I was a good distance away from camp. The last thing I needed was to be shot on top of everything else. After stumbling through the underbrush for about 2 hours in what I assumed was the right direction, I figured I was far enough away to turn on my light. I was searching for it in my bag when I heard a branch snap in the distance. The woods were always dangerous, but I only had to fear animals...not grounders...right? Pulling out the gun rather than the flashlight I lightly made my way towards the noise. I could see the soft glow of a campfire and let out a soft sigh of relief. Not a bear or a gorilla or a panther then. Just people. My relief was short lived as a strong arm reached around me from behind and pinned me against a well muscled body. His other hand twisted mine until the gun dropped harmlessly on the forest floor.

"Hello _klirfetcha_." A familiar voice laughed. "What brings you into the woods in the middle of the night?"


	30. Thirteen

"Me?" I asked, as Roan let me go. "What are you doing here? Last I saw you were on your way back to a Polis prison cell, _Prince._ "

Roan released his hold on me, and I scrambled away, turning to face him. I whistled softly taking in the crown on top of his head.

"A lot has happened since you left Polis." He commented. "And that's King to you." He stepped forward slightly and I took another step back. He laughed. "If I wanted to hurt you _klirfetcha,_ I don't think there is much you could do to stop me."

I paused, glancing at the fire in the distance. "Ice nation?" I asked. He nodded.

"What are they doing here?"

"Seems like you're asking a lot of questions and answering none." He crossed his arms. "What brings you to the woods in the middle of the night."

I pursed my lips, debating telling him the truth, but then in the distance I heard a sound that set my blood running cold. The rover.

"You're running again. Away from your people." Roan deduced, taking in my panicked look at the sound of the vehicle in the distance.

"Yes. No. It's complicated." I stuttered.

"Not really. And you're at a bit of an impasse. We have orders not to let any sky person cross this boundary line. You're being contained until Pike is removed from power and brought to justice."

"What?!" Fear was a living thing inside my chest. "No, no no. You have to let me through. I can't go back there."

He paused, considering. "What do I get out of this deal?"

"What do you want?" I choked out. I'd give anything at this point. All I knew was that if I went back to Arkadia now, with Patrick still alive, I'd die. And not a pleasant death. He had promised that much.

"How about you tell me why you're running, and then I decide the price later. And believe me, there will be one."

In the distance, the sounds of the vehicle were getting louder. I knew it wouldn't be long before they found the ice nation camp, and me right alongside them.

"If I go back, I'll die."

"You were exiled?" Roan asked, not believing it.

"No, not really, but there are people there...well….person there, who wants to kill me. And I'm in no shape or position to defend myself within the walls. Running is all I can do."

"Running is a cowards move." Roan commented raising his eyebrows, clearly waiting for more.

"When it's run or die, running is the survivors move." I shot back, annoyed. "Look, it's this whole big thing. I promise, I'll explain after. But you have to hide me." My voice was desperate. "Please." I tacked on.

"Yes, you will." Roan stated, stepping forward, and clapping me on the back. "Let's go then."

I groaned in agony and sank to my knees on the forest floor as spots dancing in front of my vision. Roan glanced back, taking in the situation, assessing.

"Can you walk?" He asked, stepping back to stand beside me as I pushed myself back to my feet.

"Yes. Just...don't hit my back….please." I winced, as I began to follow him through the woods. I was fully aware that I was totally at his mercy at the moment and I didn't like it. Not one bit. But better him than Patrick. That thought alone had me picking up my feet and walking faster.

"Two pleases in less than a minute. You must be desperate to beg me for help, _Klirfetcha_." Roan laughed slightly, as we entered the clearing for his camp.

"Don't make a fuss." He growled, grabbing my upper arm and dragging me towards a tent. No one looked twice at their king as he threw me into a tent, clearly assuming I was just a prisoner or a person of low importance. I supposed the dark had helped disguise my clothes which were very clearly 'sky people' clothes. Not to mention we had stuck to the edge of the forest for as long as possible.

I landed on a sheepskin spread across the floor of the tent, and raised my eyes at the intricate inner works of the tent. The canvas was white but painted along the inside with red designs which matched the scars on many of the faces of ice nation delegates I had seen. Candles were lit in the corners giving the area light, and against the one side of the canvas walls was a bed, lined with furs, and a table beside it with a pitcher filled with water, and a plate of bread, cheese and tomatoes.

"Being a king comes with some perks, huh?" I grinned a little, as Roan entered the tent after me.

"Oh, so you're out of danger and the smart mouth returns? Is that how it works?" He snapped back.

"I'm just saying...it's an upgrade, I'm sure." I ran my hands through the sheepskin under me, relishing how soft and clean it was.

Roan rolled his eyes. "What's wrong with your back?"

Just like that, the humour left my face. I sighed, and turned to face him, setting my jaw. I didn't want sympathy, nor did I need it.

"I was shocklashed."

"Shocklashed?"

"I guess the equivalent would be being whipped?" I suggested as a frame of reference. "But with electricity."

"Why?" He was straight to the point, and I could tell that he was weighing my answers trying to determine the cost/ benefit of helping me.

"Because I helped Clarke escape when they tried to imprison her while she was there on behalf of the commander. And I stayed behind in order to ensure she got out."

Roan shook his head, chuckling softly to himself in disbelief.

"Anyways, it wouldn't have been so bad, but one of the guards has it out for me because of… personal history." I scowled.

"Personal history?" Roan prompted, clearly enjoying this. I glared at him, and he smirked back.

"An ex. Who apparently is a psychopath. Murdered 2 girls when we were in space and I was supposed to be the 3rd, but I got lucky and got sent to earth instead. So now he has a fixation on me. Me dying, Me being tortured, me being his. It's super healthy." I spit out. "Anyway, he got to fufil his wish of torture." I muttered. Roan frowned at that.

"Let me see your back." He ordered.

"What?!" I balked. "No!"

He pulled out a vial from his belt with green paste inside. "It will speed the healing, and trust me, you're going to want to be at your best when you leave here." Roan asserted.

"When I leave...so you're going to help me?" I was relieved.

"Yes. But like I said. It's not for free. You're going to owe me a favour. To be called in. I'm trusting you're a person of your word." He narrowed his blue eyes, as if scanning me for any hint or intention of betrayal. "Now, show me your back."

I cringed as I shucked my arms out of my jacket, and couldn't stop the small moan that escaped me as I pulled my shirt over my head, forcing my back to stretch. Abby had done a good job, but the pain meds had long since worn off.

Roan didn't comment as he applied the paste to the horrific burns, more gently than I would have thought he was capable of, especially as I remembered how he had pressed the red hot knife blade into his own side to seal a stab wound. He worked quickly, applying some to my wrists as well.

"Finished. You should be good as new in a few days now, rather than a few weeks." His voice was gruff as I spun to face him.

"Thank you." I meant it. I hadn't known what to expect when I ran into him in the woods, but it wasn't this. I went to pull my shirt back on, but he grabbed it away from me.

"What the-"

"You can't wear that. If you're going to travel to Polis, you need to be dressed as one of us. If anyone knows you are skaikru, they will kill you on sight."

"But it's all I have."

Roan turned to a trunk at the foot of his bed, and tossed me a black long sleeved t-shirt with horizontal rips up each sleeve starting at the wrist and ending at the shoulder.

"I guess I'm embracing the baggy look." I commented as I pulled it on. It was far too loose in the shoulders and chest, but I enjoyed the fact that the sleeves were long enough for me.

"Anyone ever tell you you got a real gratitude problem?" Roan muttered as he pulled out a leather vest, lined with fur.

"You're the first." I grinned in return.

"I'll be calling in another favour for these." He glared as I pulled on the vest and threw him a cheeky smile.

"Look at us, becoming fast friends."

"We'll see if you think so in 10 minutes." His voice held warning.

"Why?" I asked, turning to glance at him.

"You have to pass through 15 acres of Azgeda patrolled land." He stated. "Clothes alone won't get you through." He tapped the scars framing his face.

"You. are. Kidding." I commented.

"Do I look like the kidding type?"

A brief silence fell and I could still hear the whine of the Rover patrolling the forest.

Clenching my teeth together, I nodded at Roan. "Do it then."

"You sure?"

"I'm not going back. And I didn't escape death just to die because I was scared of a little pain." Resolution filled my voice and I remembered the strength my dad had shown at the summit, receiving the brand of the 13th clan.

Roan pulled out a small kit from the bottom of his trunk, and I peered over his shoulder as he rolled it open on the bed. Inside were intricate pieces of metal that looked as though they could fit together in various ways, as well as a piece of flint, a piece of thick leather, a small pair of tongs, and another vial of the green salve he had spread on my back. Roan picked up a long straight rod, and one curved like a half moon, fitting the pieces together. He held the metal up and pressed it against my face, the half moon arcing around my eye and the long rod running straight from the top of my temple to just above my cheekbone.

"That'll do."

"What does it mean?" I asked. "I assume you're scars have meaning?"

"Of course they have meaning." He growled, sounding almost offended, but he didn't elaborate further. I guess the meanings were personal.

He grasped the metal structure from the back with the tongs and held it over the pile of candles in the corner.

"Normally a proper fire will distribute the heat better, but we're in a rush…" He explained.

"Not to mention smoke from a fire would ruin your pretty tent." I grinned slightly. He threw me a caustic glare in return.

After holding the metal over the flames until it glowed molten red, he turned back to me and gestured to the piece of leather.

"You're going to want to bite down on that."

Nerves fluttered in my stomach, making me want to throw up, but fear of going back to Arkadia kept me pushing forward. With shaking hands I picked up the leather and bit down. I laid down on the bed, with the side of my face exposed, meeting his eyes briefly and nodding. I was ready. I could do this. I could be strong.

There was no countdown or warning when Roan pressed the red hot metal against my face. Sharp pain consumed me and I groaned loudly against the leather in my mouth. But just as quickly as the metal had been applied, it was taken away, and Roan was spreading more of the wonderful green healing salve over the burn.

"This will heal quickly. It's what the salve was made to do." He told me.

"Infection?" I asked, barely able to get the word out over the agony shooting through me.

Roan laughed once. "It will keep that from happening too. Relax, _klirfetcha_ , the worst is over."

But then I heard the Rover engine loudly enter the camp, and I knew that the worst was only just beginning.

The engine cut and a gunshot sounded in the air, followed by Patrick's crisp voice.

"Oh Tara! I know you're out here! Come home now. You don't have to make this worse than it already is."

Roan scowled and stormed out of the tent towards the Rover. I hurriedly shoved everything I needed back into my backpack and slung it over my shoulder, before peering my head out of the tent flap to see what was going on.

"By order of the commander, no skaikru is allowed passed the boundary on pain of death." Roan stepped up to Patrick, taking in his measure. His hand never left the sword strapped to his side, and Patrick leveled the gun at Roan's head.

"And what's to stop me from just killing you right here, right now?" Patrick asked, not looking concerned. Roan didn't answer but instead smirked as less than half a second later an arrow shot from the trees and went straight through Patrick's upper arm. He screamed in pain and dropped the gun as two more guards from Arkadia jumped out of the Rover to help him. I used the moment to inch towards the woods at the back end of the camp.

"We are looking for one of our own." A guard I recognised as Gilmer spit Roan. "Surely even your kind can understand that we have a right to look after our own people."

"Is that what your doing?" His deep voice held a hint of dark humour. "Looking after your people?" He tilted his head and looked directly at Patrick who was pulling the arrow out of arm, a look of pure fury on his face.

"It's not your concern, grounder." He snapped back. Roan raised his eyebrows and stepped closer.

"There is no one here but Azgeda. The only reason you're still alive is because of the Clarke and her effect on the commander. Next time your cross this border, you'll be killed on sight."

Gilmer pulled Patrick back to the Rover, and the other guard hopped into the driver seat, backing it up quickly. I breathed out a sigh of relief, thinking the worst was finally behind me. I slid into the darkness of the forest and ran a hand through my tangled hair, my thoughts running away with me as I replayed the evening through in my mind.

"Don't tell me you're leaving without a thank you." Roan remarked, having caught up to me quickly.

"Is a thank you really in order when you're expecting me to repay you?" I asked.

"No, but it is polite."

"Well, I've been told I have a gratitude problem, so…" I shrugged with a wry grin. I was about to step further into the darkness when he caught hold of my arm and spun me back to face him.

"Consider this the favour required for the shirt." Roan commented, before pressing a kiss to my lips. I was caught off guard, as his hands traced down my shoulders and rested gently on my waist, pulling me closer. His kiss was demanding, yet soft. Apart from Patrick, and that once quick kiss with Alex at Mount Weather, I didn't have a lot of experience, but I found myself returning the affection with intensity, biting his lip as he deepened the kiss.

"I knew you liked me." I grinned.

Roan scoffed. "I'll be collecting the other favour as well. And that one won't be so easy to repay."

"Well if it is will be anything like this, I can't say I'll mind repaying it."

He gave me a smirk in response, but countered it by saying "Next time this happens, it won't be due to any favours. Stay safe, _klirfetcha_."

"Wait, Roan." I called after him as he turned back towards his camp. He glanced over his shoulder at me. "You said the scars had meaning." I gestured to my face. "What does the one you gave me mean?"

"Maybe one day I'll tell you. For now, consider it a gift."

"Not a favour?"

He raised an eyebrow and threw me a sardonic grin. "Do you want to owe me more?"

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't stop the small smile from creeping across my face as I turned back to the beckoning woods. Who knew the king of Azgeda could be so charming when he wasn't being such an ass? I bent down to tighten my boots before stepping over a fallen log and into the dark. The moon shone brightly overhead offering a little light, which was handy as I didn't feel like searching for my torch. Not to mention, I was supposed to be Azgeda now, not skaikru, and as far as I knew, Azgeda didn't have flashlights.

I was exhausted from the events of the day but I didn't dare stop. I wouldn't be safe until I was in Polis. I wasn't far from the camp when I realized that things were quiet. Too quiet. I should still hear the rover, even if it was headed back to camp. Panic began to crawl up my spine. Maybe I wasn't as safe as I had hoped. I heard a twig snap behind me and I reached down and flicked the safety off my gun, steeling my nerves. Better to face this head on. I was tired of being hunted.

"Patrick?" I asked the darkness, trying to keep my voice from wavering. I could be strong. I was strong. I didn't let Roan just mark my face to cower away now. No. I squared my shoulders and adjusted my grip on the gun.

"You have 5 seconds to come out, or I'm shooting at whatever makes noise." I said louder, resolution colouring my voice.

I waited 3 seconds until a slow clap caught my attention and I swung towards the sound.

"Tara, Tara, Tara." Patrick grinned like a maniac. "You take the fun out of everything."

"Yeah, running for my life is a real fun game." I snarled. "I should shoot you right now."

He laughed. "But we both know you won't."

"Then you're even stupider than you look." I told him. "After all, I'm not a killer, but for you should know that you I'll make an exception."

Patrick walked up to me, still grinning. He took the barrel of the gun and pressed it to his forehead.

"Do it then. Go on. Become a killer." He didn't look scared at all. Rather, he looked like he was having the time of his life. His confidence caused mine to waver, but I still moved my finger from the side of the gun until it rested over the trigger.

"Do you know how it feels to take a life? The power it gives you? Do it, Tara. Become me. Then you'll really understand. We're not so different."

"We are nothing alike." I screamed at him.

"Ah, then we are at an impasse. Because if you kill me, you prove me right. You'll enjoy it. And that's what makes a murderer kill again."

"You know nothing." I shouted, tears leaking out of the corners of my eyes, my hand tightening on the trigger.

"I know you shouldn't have let me get this close to you." All at once his eyes become vacant of emotion as he sidestepped and pulled the gun from my hand. I grappled for control of the weapon, but in two moves, he had wrenched the weapon from my hand and tossed it deep into the woods.

"There!" He exclaimed. "Now we can talk." He stepped forward and I stepped back. I kept stepping back until I hit a tree.

"If you're going to kill me, just do it." I snarled. "At least once I'm dead I'll be free of your insane monologuing."

"Kill you?" He reached out and stroked a hand down my hair. "I don't want to kill you. Not yet at least." He frowned, noticing the green salve on the side of my face.

"You let them mark you?" He laughed again. "Like father like daughter." His smile turned vicious.

"If you wanted a brand so badly, you should have just asked." He pulled a small knife out of his sleeve. His intent was clear as he lifted the blade to my other cheek, and I sidestepped, hooking my foot behind his heel and sweeping his leg. He landed on his back on the forest floor, but I didn't grant him a moment reprieve. I kicked him in the side, and brought my boot down hard on his wrist.

"You bitch!" He screamed, trying to scramble to his feet. I reached down into my boots and pulled out one of the throwing knives my Dad had given me. "I'll kill you!"

"I'm sure you'll try." I hissed, taking aim. "But not if I kill you first." This time I didn't hesitate. I released the knife and it flew true, hitting him in the neck. The change was immediate. All the anger and hate left his face, morphing it back into the angelic looking boy I had fallen in love with a lifetime ago. Blood gurgled from the wound as he collapsed first to his knees, and then landed face first on the forest floor. His blond hair glowed in the moonlight, tinged at the ends with dark blood. I felt numb as I walked over and pulled my knife from his throat, seeing his blue eyes staring at nothing. Patrick was wrong. Killing didn't make me feel powerful. It made me feel nothing. I wondered what was worse. Clarke had killed, but she felt bad about it. I felt nothing. I wiped the knife on Patrick's jacket before sliding it back into my boot. I patted his body down hoping to find something useful, but only found another gun and some bullets. I put my newly acquired weapon in my pack and left Patrick's body to be claimed by the forest. He was past the boundary line. Everyone would think it was a grounder kill. Only I would know the truth. I could go back to Arkadia, but that would raise suspicion. Murder was still a big crime, and if anyone there ever traced this back to me...I didn't want to think about what Pike would do. Or see the look on Bellamy's face upon realising I too had become a murderer. The ground made killers of us all. The truth of what I had done sat like a stone in my chest weighing me down with each step I took away from his cooling body. Polis couldn't come soon enough. Maybe it would offer clarity. Maybe it would offer an escape. The only way to find out was to get there, and so with a final glance over my shoulder, I set off into the night.


End file.
